Thursday, September 13, 2007
Sumatra: Second Quake Hits
My prayers to those who perished in yet another earthquake in Indonesia and deepest sympathy to the others who are suffering due to Mother Nature's violent way of venting her fury.
Second strong quake hits Sumatra
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Another powerful earthquake has hit the Indonesian island of Sumatra, a day after the world's strongest tremor so far this year caused extensive damage.
At least nine people were killed and many buildings damaged. But the full scale of the impact has yet to emerge.
Tsunami warnings were repeatedly issued and lifted, as many people ran inland fearing a repeat of the 2004 tsunami.
Thursday's magnitude-7.8 quake hit the same area in southern Sumatra as the tremor of 8.4 on Wednesday.
The second quake struck at 0649 on Thursday (2349 GMT on Wednesday), about 10km (six miles) under the sea, some 185km (115 miles) south-east of the city of Padang, the US Geological Survey says.
It came some 12 hours after the main tremor, about 30km (18 miles) under the sea, 130km (80 miles) south-west of the city of Bengkulu.
At least 40 people have been injured and hundreds of buildings damaged, officials say.
"Many buildings collapsed after this morning's [Thursday's] quake. We're still trying to find out about victims," Padang Mayor Fauzi Bahar told a local radio station.
Casualties appear to be lower than first feared, but officials warn that bad communications may be hiding the scale of the impact.
Health officials in the capital Jakarta say teams carrying food and medicine are travelling to the area, and President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has ordered an emergency team from the army and police.
The United Nations said its was also heading for Sumatra.
Fleeing inland
Wednesday's quake sparked warnings across the Indian Ocean, but only a small wave surge of about 1m (3ft) hit Sumatra, causing little damage.
But about two hours after the quake, Indonesia's meteorology agency said the danger of a serious tsunami had passed. India and Sri Lanka also called off tsunami warnings.
At least a dozen aftershocks were felt later and four tsunami warnings briefly declared and then lifted, the BBC's Lucy Williamson reports from Jakarta.
People have been told to leave their homes on the coast and move inland.
Thousands of people were reported to have spent the night sleeping in the open air in the areas of Benkulu and Padang after the previous quake left them terrified.
Fearful memories
Wednesday's earthquake was one of the most powerful in Indonesia since the tremor that caused the Asian tsunami in 2004.
That measured 8.9 and struck under the sea near the northern Sumatran province of Aceh, triggering a tsunami that killed more than 220,000 people around the rim of the Indian Ocean.
Our correspondent says quakes on this scale are rare and memories of 2004 have made the country terrified of a repeat.
Indonesia, part of the seismically active Pacific "Ring of Fire", is frequently shaken by earth tremors.
At least nine people were killed and many buildings damaged. But the full scale of the impact has yet to emerge.
Tsunami warnings were repeatedly issued and lifted, as many people ran inland fearing a repeat of the 2004 tsunami.
Thursday's magnitude-7.8 quake hit the same area in southern Sumatra as the tremor of 8.4 on Wednesday.
The second quake struck at 0649 on Thursday (2349 GMT on Wednesday), about 10km (six miles) under the sea, some 185km (115 miles) south-east of the city of Padang, the US Geological Survey says.
It came some 12 hours after the main tremor, about 30km (18 miles) under the sea, 130km (80 miles) south-west of the city of Bengkulu.
At least 40 people have been injured and hundreds of buildings damaged, officials say.
"Many buildings collapsed after this morning's [Thursday's] quake. We're still trying to find out about victims," Padang Mayor Fauzi Bahar told a local radio station.
Casualties appear to be lower than first feared, but officials warn that bad communications may be hiding the scale of the impact.
Health officials in the capital Jakarta say teams carrying food and medicine are travelling to the area, and President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has ordered an emergency team from the army and police.
The United Nations said its was also heading for Sumatra.
Fleeing inland
Wednesday's quake sparked warnings across the Indian Ocean, but only a small wave surge of about 1m (3ft) hit Sumatra, causing little damage.
But about two hours after the quake, Indonesia's meteorology agency said the danger of a serious tsunami had passed. India and Sri Lanka also called off tsunami warnings.
At least a dozen aftershocks were felt later and four tsunami warnings briefly declared and then lifted, the BBC's Lucy Williamson reports from Jakarta.
People have been told to leave their homes on the coast and move inland.
Thousands of people were reported to have spent the night sleeping in the open air in the areas of Benkulu and Padang after the previous quake left them terrified.
Fearful memories
Wednesday's earthquake was one of the most powerful in Indonesia since the tremor that caused the Asian tsunami in 2004.
That measured 8.9 and struck under the sea near the northern Sumatran province of Aceh, triggering a tsunami that killed more than 220,000 people around the rim of the Indian Ocean.
Our correspondent says quakes on this scale are rare and memories of 2004 have made the country terrified of a repeat.
Indonesia, part of the seismically active Pacific "Ring of Fire", is frequently shaken by earth tremors.
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