Thaindian News

Jakarta, Aug 16 (DPA) A strong earthquake measuring 6.9 on the Richter scale struck the western coast of Sumatra Sunday, but there were no immediate reports of injury or damage, the Indonesian seismology agency said.
The quake struck at 2:38 p.m. and was centred in the Indian Ocean, 43 km southwest of Mentawai Islands, Indonesia’s National Meteorology and Geophysics Agency (BMG) said.

It occurred 32 km beneath the seabed, but the statement say the quake did not trigger a tsunami threat.

Meteorologists said there were no immediate reports of injury or damage from the quake, but reports from several cities in West Sumatra, including in the capital of Padang, many residents fleeing their home in panic.

“We are still trying to get more information on the latest situation in those affected areas,” said Rudi, an official at the BMG office in Jakarta, adding that communications were difficult from and to the islands located off the western coast of Sumatra.

Indonesia, the world’s largest archipelago nation, sits along the Pacific Ocean’s Ring of Fire, where the meeting of continental plates causes high volcanic and seismic activity.

A major earthquake and subsequent tsunami struck in December 2004, leaving more than 170,000 people dead or missing in Indonesia’s Aceh province and half a million people homeless.