Global Courant 2023-04-25 02:21:11
SUMATRA – A magnitude 7.3 earthquake struck west of the Indonesian island of Sumatra on Tuesday, Indonesia’s Geophysical Office (BMKG) said, triggering a tsunami warning for about two hours.
The tsunami warning, which asked local authorities to immediately instruct residents of the affected area to move away from the coast, has since been lifted.
The European-Mediterranean Seismological Center (EMSC) previously estimated the earthquake at a magnitude of 6.9.
The earthquake, at a depth of 84 km, occurred around 3 am local time. A number of aftershocks were later detected, with one registering a magnitude of 5, BMKG data showed.
Indonesia’s disaster response agency said authorities were collecting data from the islands closest to the epicenter off Sumatra’s west coast, spokesman Abdul Muhari said.
In Padang, the capital of West Sumatra, the earthquake was strongly felt and some people moved away from the beaches, said Abdul, who was in Padang.
“People left their homes. Some were panicked but under control. Currently, some of them are evacuating away from the sea,” he said, adding that he had not seen any damage so far.
Local news footage showed some Padang residents evacuating to higher ground by motorcycle and on foot. Some carried rucksacks while others huddled under umbrellas against the rain.
“People had already been evacuated on the island of Siberut. They have been told to remain in the evacuation area until the tsunami warning is lifted,” Noviandri, a local official told TvOne.
Indonesia is regularly hit by earthquakes because it straddles the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, a seismically active zone where several plates of the Earth’s crust meet. REUTERS
