A massive earthquake has struck under the sea off the coast of Bali, Indonesia.
According to the Daily Mail the 5.7 magnitude quake was detected 125km north-east of Surabaya, Java, on Thursday, the US Geological Survey has confirmed.
The quake, measuring at a depth of 588km, sparked fears of a tsunami and an eruption from nearby volcano Mount Agung.
Bali is a favourite holiday destination for Australians, with many families expected to fly to the island as school holidays begin this Friday.
It’s also a popular destination for backpackers, with thousands visiting every year.
Unfortunately the earthquake is only the latest in a series of intense earthquakes that have hit in area known as the Ring Of Fire in the last 48 hours – a vast section of the Pacific which encompasses New Zealand, Vanuatu, Japan, Indonesia and Mexico.
Yesterday separate earthquakes hit New Zealand and Mexico causing untold damage and claiming over 240 lives.
Although an official tsunami warning hasn’t been issued, locals living near Mount Agung have been evacuating their homes following increased seismic activity in the area.
Pak Kasbani, the head of the Centre for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation, told ABC: ‘We see that the earthquake frequency is very high, this is worrying when it comes to eruption’.
