Indonesia Earthquake: 6.4 Magnitude Quake Hits West Coast of Sumatra


A 6.4-magnitude earthquake jolted Indonesia’s Sumatra Island early Wednesday killing a man and sending panicked residents fleeing from homes in towns and villages.

According to the US Geological Survey, the quake, at a depth of 13.6 miles (22km), struck around 7:30am local time, some 21 miles northwest of Sinabang, capital of Simeulue – a small, remote island off Sumatra’s west coast.

The Borneo Post notes that residents of Sinabang, which has a population of about 80,000, reported violent shaking that was felt for about a minute and had caused an electricity blackout.

“People were crying, grabbing their belongings and rushing out of their homes …….There is no electrical power in some areas and I can see cracks in the walls of homes around me,” the AFP quoted a reporter in Indonesia as saying.

National Disaster Agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said that the individual who perished during the temblor died of shock while fleeing from his home on the island.

“He had a history of high blood pressure and was rushing out of his home when he collapsed and died,” Nugroho said.

He added there were no other immediate reports of significant damage or other casualties directly related to the earthquake and that there was little chance of a tsunami.

“The quake has no tsunami potential,” Nugroho said.

Yahoo!7 News has more on the recent Indonesia earthquake in the video below:

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