Powerful Quake Hits Indonesia’s Sumatra Island

A powerful earthquake jolted Seumeulu Island in Indonesia’s Aceh province Wednesday, but there were no immediate reports of damage and casualties.

The Indonesian meteorology and geophysics agency said in a report that the quake was measured 6.6 on the Richter scale and struck at 15:08 Jakarta time (0808 gmt) with epicentre at 42 kilometres northwest Sinabang town in Siemelu Island of the province and 30 kilometres beneath the earth.

But the Hong Kong Observatory said the quake measuring 7.6 on the Richter scale occurred west of Northern Sumatra at 16:14 (0814 gmt). The epicentre was initially determined to be 2.6 degrees north latitude and 95.9 degrees east longitude, about 330 kilometres south- southeast of Banda Aceh.

There is no local tsunami warning issued, but the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre issued a bulletin saying parts of the Sumatran coast closest to the epicentre were at risk of a possible tsunami.

The intensity of the quake was felt at 6 MMI (modified mercalli intensity) at Meulaboh town, 3 to 4 MMI in Banda Aceh, 3 MMI in Medan, the capital of North Sumatra and Sibolga town of the province, an official of the Indonesian meteorology and geophysics agency, Agung Mulyo Utomo, told Xinhua.

The tremor was felt in the North Sumatra Capital of Medan which is located about 290 km from the epicentre.

TV footage showed people stormed out in panic from multi-story buildings in the country’s third largest city.

The quake also shook Nias Island and the Aceh capital of Banda Aceh on the northern tip of Sumatra island, where over 130,000 people were killed in the 2004 earthquake-triggered tsunami.

"Today’s earthquake was not tsunami potential as it was centred inland," a staff with the agency told Xinhua.

In 2004, over 160,000 people were dead in Aceh province in northern tip of Sumatra Island after a tsunami triggered by a powerful quake devastated coastal areas of the province and others countries in southeast Asia.

Indonesia sits on the Pacific "Ring of Fire" where two continental plates meet, causing frequent volcanic movements.