A strong earthquake measuring 6.2 on the Richter scale rocked Indonesia's capital city Jakarta and surroundings at 17:55 local time Wednesday.

The quake, which also hit Bogor and Tangerang, south of Jakarta, and felt in Bandung, capital of West Java province, caused tall buildings to sway and many citizens to run out of houses, witnesses said.

The quake was centered 40 kilometers beneath the Sunda straits, said Budi Waluyo, an official at Indonesia's meteorological office.

It struck 190 kilometers southwest of Jakarta, he said.