Earthquake in Aceh of Indonesia, 5.0 magnitude

A 5.0 magnitude earthquake rocked Indonesia's western Aceh province early Thursday, the US Geological Survey said, but there were no immediate reports of damage or casualties.

The shallow quake struck shortly before 1 am local time with its epicenter 20 kilometers northwest of the city of Langsa.

No tsunami warning has been issued.

Indonesia, one of the most disaster-prone nations on earth, straddles the so-called Pacific "Ring of Fire", where tectonic plates collide and many of the world's volcanic eruptions and earthquakes occur.

In 2004 a tsunami triggered by a magnitude 9.3 undersea earthquake off the coast of Sumatra in western Indonesia killed 220,000 people in countries around the Indian Ocean, including 168,000 in Indonesia.

A series of quakes and aftershocks on the Indonesian holiday island of Lombok through July and August killed about 500 people and forced hundreds of thousands into evacuation shelters or tents.

(With inputs from agencies.)