Strong 6.1 Earthquake shakes Indonesia
Pastor Dale Morgan
Strong 6.1 Earthquake shakes Indonesia*
From correspondents in Jakarta
May 20, 2008 02:39am
Article from: Agence France-Presse
A POWERFUL 6.1-magnitude earthquake has shaken the western coast of
Indonesia's North Sumatra province today, the meteorology office here said.
The quake struck at 2126 pm (2326 AEST) at a depth of 10km in a
mountainous area 35 km north-east of Padang Sidempuan, meteorologists said.
There were no immediate reports of damage or casualties.
A resident of Padang Sidempuan, Pardomuan Bangun, said the quake was
strongly felt in town, causing people to rush out of buildings in panic,
some shouting.
"But so far I have not seen or heard of any serious damage or victims,''
Mr Bangun said.
The US Geological Survey clocked the quake at 5.9 magnitude.
Indonesia was the nation worst hit by the quake-triggered Asian tsunami
in December 2004, which killed 168,000 people in the country's Aceh
province alone.
The Indonesian archipelago sits on the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire,
where continental plates meet and cause frequent seismic and volcanic
activity.