NT Earthquake
© USGSMap of where an earthquake struck in the early hours of May 21.
A strong earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.1 has struck Northern Territory in Australia, centered near Kaltukatjara and Uluru, seismologists say. There is no word on damage but the region is sparsely populated.

The earthquake, at 3:54 a.m. local time on Saturday, was centered southeast of Kaltukatjara in Northern Territory and northwest of Kalka Homeland in South Australia.

It struck at a shallow depth of about 9 kilometers (5.6 miles).

There was no immediate word on damage or casualties, but the region is sparsely populated. Geoscience Australia estimated that the earthquake may have been felt as far away as 507 kilometers (315 miles) from the epicenter, though any damage would be limited to a 40 kilometer (24 mile) radius.

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) estimated the magnitude of the earthquake at 5.9.

Saturday's earthquake was one of the strongest to hit mainland Australia since August 1997, when a 6.3-magnitude earthquake was recorded off Collier Bay on West Australia's far north coast. It was widely felt but no serious damage was reported, and there were no injuries.