7.5 magnitude earthquake strikes near Indonesia, no threat to Lanka
October 25, 2010 09:54 pm
A powerful earthquake struck off the western coast of Indonesia’s Sumatra island on Monday, with a preliminary estimate of 7.5 magnitude. The Sri Lankan Disaster Management Centre said that there was no immediate tsunami threat to Sri Lanka, however the general public will be notified if necessary.
No damage or casualties have yet been reported.
The quake struck at a depth of 9 miles on a small island off Sumatra,
according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
A tsunami watch for local areas was issued but lifted within an hour.
Indonesia
is the world’s largest archipelago, and is prone to earthquakes and volcanic activity
due to its location on the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire.
More than 1,000 people were killed by an earthquake off Sumatra in September 2009.
In June at least three powerful earthquakes struck the region, bringing down homes and leaving three people dead.
In December 2004, a 9.1-magnitude quake off the coast of Aceh triggered a tsunami in the Indian Ocean that killed a quarter of a million people in 13 countries including Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India and Thailand.
