Bengkulu, a city southwest of Sumatra was hit by a magnitude 6.9 earthquake at 5.30pm (Sumatra time) (Photo: USGS)Hanoi (VNA) – Two separatequakes rocked several areas near Indonesia's Sumatra island on early August 19,according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS).
The first one of magnitude 6.8 occurred at5:23am (local time), followed by the second one six minutes later. The USGS'seismograph labelled the second as a magnitude 6.9 quake, with a 26-kilometerdepth. However, no tsunami warnings were issued.
The Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning andMitigation System said there was “no threat to countries in the Indian Ocean”.
There was a “low likelihood of casualtiesand damage”, the USGS added.
Indonesia experiences frequent seismic andvolcanic activity due to its position on the Pacific “Ring of Fire”, wheretectonic plates collide.
In 2018, a 7.5-magnitude quake andsubsequent tsunami on Sulawesi island left more than 4,300 people dead ormissing.
A devastating 9.1-magnitude quake struckoff the coast of Sumatra in 2004, triggering a tsunami that killed 220,000throughout the region, including around 170,000 in Indonesia./.
