Earthquake measuring 7.3 on the Richter scale hits the coast of Indonesia, triggering a tsunami warning
- A magnitude 7.3 earthquake struck west of the island of Sumatra
- Residents were ordered to move away from the shores
- The authorities have since withdrawn the tsunami warning
A magnitude 7.3 earthquake that struck west Indonesia has triggered a tsunami warning that lasted about two hours.
The earthquake occurred around 3 am on Tuesday at a depth of 84 kilometers west of the Indonesian island of Sumatra.
A number of aftershocks were later detected, one of which registered a magnitude of 5.0 on the Richter scale, data from Indonesia’s geophysical agency showed.
Local authorities issued a tsunami warning and instructed residents of the affected area to move away from shorelines.
The warning has since been lifted.
An earthquake measuring 7.3 on the Richter scale struck the island of Sumatra in western Indonesia at 3am on Tuesday (pictured). The earthquake triggered a tsunami warning for residents in the area
The Euro-Mediterranean Seismological Center (EMSC) had previously estimated the quake at a magnitude of 6.9.
The agency said authorities were collecting data from the islands closest to the epicenter off the west coast of Sumatra, spokesman Abdul Muhari said.
In Padang, the capital of West Sumatra, the earthquake was strongly felt and some people moved away from the beaches, said Abdul, who was in Padang.
“People left their homes. Some were panicked but under control. Currently, some of them are evacuating away from the sea,” he said, adding that he had not seen any damage so far.
Local news footage showed some Padang residents evacuating to higher ground by motorcycle and on foot. Some carried backpacks, while others huddled under umbrellas against the rain.
‘People had already been evacuated on the island of Siberut. They have been told to remain in the evacuation area until the tsunami warning is lifted,” Noviandri, a local official told TvOne.
Indonesia is regularly hit by earthquakes because it straddles the Pacific Ring of Fire, a seismically active zone where several plates of the Earth’s crust meet.
