Earthquake hits West Sumatra

The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Mon, 09/08/2008 7:49 PM  |  National

An earthquake measuring 5.6 on the Richter scale shocked the west coast line of West Sumatra on Monday.

The Meteorology and Geophysics Agency (BMG) reported that the epicenter of quake was located 20 kilometers deep and 43 kilometers northeast of the Mentawai Islands.

The quake hit at 5:43 p.m. local time, affecting the population of Padang, the capital of West Sumatra, who were breaking their fast. The citizens, however, remained calm as the quake was not strong enough to cause damage.

BMG also reported that the quake affected Pesisir Selatan, Padang Pariaman, and Agam regions, but no damages or casualties were reported. (dre)

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