Indonesia: Earthquake of magnitude 7.3 jolts Sumatra island

New Delhi: An earthquake with a magnitude of 7.3 struck Indonesia’s Sumatra Island on Tuesday, causing a tsunami warning for around two hours, reported Reuters.

The tsunami warning has already been revoked, ordering local authorities to promptly advise residents of the affected area to move away from coastlines.

The earthquake was first estimated to have had a magnitude of 6.9 by the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC).

The 84-kilometer-deep quake struck at about 3 am local time (2000 GMT). The aftershocks were reported, with one measuring with a magnitude of 5, according to Reuters.

According to Indonesia’s disaster mitigation agency, authorities are collecting data from the islands closest to the epicentre off the western coast of Sumatra, according to spokeswoman Abdul Muhari.

The tremor was felt powerfully in Padang, the capital of West Sumatra, and some people avoided the beaches, according to Abdul, who was in Padang, as reported by Reuters.

He said, “People left their homes. Some were panicking but under control. Currently some of them are evacuating away from the sea.”

Local news footage showed some Padang residents evacuating to higher land by motorbike and foot. Some had backpacks, while others hid under an umbrella to avoid the rain.

Indonesia is prone to earthquakes because it is on the Pacific Ring of Fire, a seismically active zone where several plates of the earth’s crust collide.

With inputs from agencies

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