Strong earthquakes jostle Nias, Bengkulu, and Papua

Apriadi Gunawan , The Jakarta Post, Agencies , Medan | Thu, 06/26/2008 10:38 AM | The Archipelago

An earthquake registering 5.8 on the Richter scale struck off Sumatra Island on Wednesday, an hour after a 5.6 magnitude quake hit the same area, geologists said.

The second quake hit at 9:53 a.m. local time with the epicenter 65 kilometers southwest of Gunung Sitoli, North Sumatra, at a depth of 17 kilometers, the national geophysics agency said.

There were no immediate reports of damage or a tsunami alert but the quake was felt by residents in Gunung Sitoli and the nearby city of Sibolga, a geophysics official who identified himself as Acep told AFP.

"It was not an aftershock since its magnitude was stronger than the one before it," he said.

The United States Geological Survey also recorded both earthquakes.

The head of information at the Medan Meteorology and Geophysics Agency in North Sumatra, Rifwar Kamin, said the quakes that jostled Nias and Bengkulu were felt along Aceh's west coast, especially around Singkil and Simeulue.

"People should stay alert for stronger quakes that could hit the area soon, since the region was recently devastated by a strong quake and tsunami," he said.

Rifwar warned that Nias was very prone to strong tremors. "Nias was shaken by an earthquake measuring 8.7 on the Richter scale in December 2004," he said referring to the earthquake that shook Aceh and caused a devastating tsunami, killing 168,000 people in Aceh province alone.

Spokesman for the Nias administration Tema Telaumbanua said most residents left their houses when the quake hit.

"People were in a panic while seeking safe areas and all activities in government offices were suspended, but now conditions have returned to normal," he said.

He had not yet received any reports of damage caused by the strong earthquake, he said.

Antara also reported another earthquake measuring 5.4 on the Richter scale which shook Jayapura, Papua on Wednesday at 2:48 a.m. local time.

This earthquake's epicenter was located about 219 kilometres northwest of Jayapura at a depth of 66 kilometers below sea level, the National Meteorological and Geophysics Agency said here Wednesday.

Indonesia sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire, where continental plates meet, causing seismic and volcanic activity.

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