Indonesia Earthquake: 7.4 Quake Rattles North Sumatra Province



Tsunami and Earthquake Reporting

Indonesia — An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 7.4 rattled Indonesia's North Sumatra province Sunday, prompting a brief local tsunami watch, knocking out power and damaging some homes, officials said.

The U.S. Geological Survey said the afternoon quake hit 135 miles (220 kilometers) southeast of Banda Aceh at a depth at 38 miles (61 kilometers). Indonesia and the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Honolulu issued a tsunami watch for the area, but both canceled their warnings less than 90 minutes later.

Fauzi, chief of Indonesia's meteorology agency, said the closest town to the epicenter was Meulaboh, where a small "tsunami wave" just 7.9 inches (20 centimeters) high was detected by a buoy off the coast.

Fauzi, who like many Indonesians uses only one name, said the official tsunami watch had been canceled.

Local media reports said the quake caused panic in many parts of Aceh – which was hit hard by the earthquake that triggered the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami that killed 230,000 people – and in neighboring North Sumatra province.

Lt. Col. Widodo, chief of West Aceh police in Meulaboh, told MetroTV that many residents remained outside in the streets for fear of another quake.

"But up until now, there is no indication of damages or casualties," said Widodo.

Minor damage to the control tower of the Cut Nyak Dhien airport near Meulaboh – including broken windows and cracks on the wall – did not disrupt airport operations, said Transportation Ministry spokesman Bambang Ervan.

Activities at Meulaboh seaport were also briefly disturbed as workers fled to higher ground after hearing the tsunami alert.

Riswan, local government secretary on Simeulue island, said the quake damaged some houses and caused a power outage, but phones were still working.

Indonesia rests on a series of fault lines that make the archipelago nation one of the most world's most earthquake-prone. A quake last year killed more than 1,000 people on Sumatra, but a 7.7 quake last month in the same area caused only minor damage.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/05/0 ... 69230.html

Strong quakes rock eastern Indonesia; 3 dead
4 shakers hit same region in an hour; buildings collapse in Biak, Yapen

msnbc.com staff and news service reports
updated 3:24 a.m. CT, Wed., June 16, 2010

JAKARTA, Indonesia - Four strong earthquakes struck the same region of eastern Indonesia Wednesday, leaving at least three people dead, two seriously injured and dozens of buildings collapsed on two islands, news agencies reported.

The buildings fell in Biak and Yapen, islands off the northern coast of Papua in the easternmost part of Indonesia, news agencies reported.

The victims were crushed under their collapsed homes on Yapen island, police said.

Homes, buildings collapse
At least 20 homes collapsed on Yapen and several buildings fell in Biak, officials said.

"Two people have been evacuated to General Hospital in Biak as they got serious injuries in the quake," a health ministry officials told Xinhua over phone.

The strongest quake, reported by the U.S. Geological Survey to be magnitude 7.0, struck at 12:16 p.m. local time (11:16 p.m. Tuesday ET). The epicenter was 18 miles beneath the ocean floor off the northern coast of Papua province. A 6.4 quake preceded the largest shaker, which was followed a half-hour later by a 5.1 temblor, and a 6.2 rocker 20 minutes later.

Yapen island, with a population of about 70,000 people, appeared to be the worst-hit area with one church destroyed and at least 150 homes damaged, police said.

Tsunami fears
In the town of Biak, hundreds of people ran out of their homes on the reef-fringed tropical island around lunchtime, resident Yan Pieter Yarangga told The Associated Press. Fearing a tsunami, people fled beaches and some raced for higher ground.

"I ran too, I was afraid there would be a second quake," said Yarangga.

When the electricity went out, some women and children started screaming in terror, said Sgt. Junaidi, a local police official, who like many Indonesians goes by one name. "Many were crying, they were so afraid of a tsunami."

Biak resident Osibyo Wakum said he was driving his car to the office when the quake hit.

"I felt a huge tremor for about one or two minutes; the car was being flung around," Wakum said.

In the West Papua provincial capital of Manokwari, people fled to open spaces as buildings swayed and the earth shook.

"There was a swaying movement for about 40 seconds. People ran out of their homes, shouting 'get out, get out, the earth is shaking'," said an AFP correspondent in the town.

Many people remained outside as powerful aftershocks rattled the region.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/37722165

Update from CNN.

Powerful earthquakes shake Indonesian coast, kill 2 people

(CNN) -- A power string of six earthquakes shook the northern coast of Papua, Indonesia, Wednesday, killing at least two people and causing widespread damage on Yapen Island, officials said.

"We don't know how bad it is yet, but we have received reports that 200 houses on the coast line were damaged and 227 others were in town," according to Papua police spokesman Wachyono, who goes by a single name. The national disaster coordinating agency will be sending a team to assess the situation, he said.

Four of the earthquakes hit the region within an hour's time, starting just after midday. A fifth and sixth quake hit the region a few hours later.

A 6.4 magnitude quake quake struck at 12:06 p.m. local time, followed by a more powerful 7.0 magnitude quake 10 minutes later, the U.S. Geological Survey reported. Within the next 42 minutes, a 5.1 magnitude quake also rattled the region, along with a magnitude 6.2 quake. Weaker quakes of magnitude 4.9 and 4.8 hit the area after 3 p.m.

The epicenters of the earthquakes were clustered within 90 kilometers (56 miles) of each other and some 180 kilometers (110 miles) north of Enarotali, Indonesia.

snip

http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/asiapcf/06/15/indonesia.earthquake/index.html?hpt=T2