On April 4th, Sumatra Island in Indonesia, which is known to be prone to earthquakes, was hit by a devastating 7.3 magnitude earthquake. The quake triggered a tsunami warning by Indonesia’s geophysics agency, and several aftershocks were recorded, some registering at a magnitude of 4.
The epicenter was located off the western shore of Sumatra, where the Pacific Ring of Fire, a seismically active zone, meets different plates of the earth’s crust. The tsunami warning urged local authorities to evacuate residents from the affected area away from the shore, and although it was lifted later, the earthquake was still felt strongly in West Sumatra’s capital, Padang.
Abdul Muhari, a spokesperson for the Indonesian geophysics agency, who was in the area at the time, reported that locals were moved away from the beaches, and footage on social media showed some Padang residents evacuating by motorbike and on foot to higher ground.
According to a local official quoted by TvOne, people on Siberut island had already been evacuated and were told to remain at the evacuation area until the tsunami warning was lifted. The earthquake hit at about 3 am local time and was located at a depth of 84km.
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