Jakarta: A strong earthquake measuring 6.2 magnitude on the Richter Scale struck off Sumatra island in Indonesia on Friday. According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the epicenter of the earthquake was 70 km from the town of Bukittingi in West Sumatra province at a depth of 12 km.
The tremors of the earthquake was felt in the neighbouring provinces of Riau and North Sumatra. No tsunami warning was issued and there was no immediate report of casualties or damage.
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Indonesia is frequently struck by earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and tsunamis as it is situated in the ‘Ring of Fire’. The island nation sits on the meeting points of many tectonic plates, including the Eurasian, North American, Juan de Fuca, Cocos, Caribbean, Nazca, Antarctic, Indian, Australian, Philippine and other smaller plates. About 90% of the Earth’s earthquakes and about 81% of the world’s largest earthquakes occur along the Ring of Fire.
Earlier in January, around 105 people were killed and 6500 injured in a strong earthquake measuring 6.2 on the Richter Scale that hit Mamuju and Majene districts in West Sulawesi province. Around 92,000 people were displaced in the earthquake. In 2004, a 9.1-magnitude quake struck the coast of Sumatra and triggered a tsunami that killed 220,000 throughout the region, including about 170,000 in Indonesia.
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