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5.8-magnitude quake hits Mentawai islands
An earthquake measuring 5
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An earthquake measuring 5.8 on the Richter Scale shook Mentawai Islands off the western coast of Sumatra on Wednesday.
"Local residents rushed outdoors when the earthquake occurred," Head of the Disaster Mitigation Board (BPBD) of Mentawai Islands regency Hati Samaura said, adding that the earthquake did not have the potential to cause a tsunami.
"The local people are accustomed to tremors. When any earthquake occurs, they rush outdoors to see whether it will lead to a tsunami," he said as quoted by Antara news agency.
Although the earthquake did not cause a tsunami, Samaura asked local residents to remain vigilant.
"Based on preliminary reports, the 5.8-magnitude earthquake neither caused structural damage nor claimed lives," he said.
According to the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG), the epicenter of the earthquake, which struck at 1:10 p.m. local time, was located at 3.88 degrees south and 100.07 degrees east, which is 192 kilometers southeast of Mentawai Islands regency, at a depth of 10 kilometers.
In July 2013, Mentawai Islands were hit by an earthquake with a magnitude of 6.1. (hhr)
