The quakes struck 11 minutes apart with the second, at 3:32 pmthe stronger, measuring 5.6 on the open-ended Richter scale, said an official.

The focus of both tremors was in the Indian Ocean, one about 96 kilometers (59.2 miles) and the second 169 kilometers (104,8 miles) southwest of Bengkulu City.

The earthquakes were felt in Bengkulu City in the south of Sumatra island and there were no reports of damage or casualties, the official, Dani, said.

Antara state news agency said that the quakes caused some panic among residents, especially those in tall buildings.

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