The US Geological Survey reported that a 6.2-magnitude earthquake occurred early on Monday off the coast of the Indonesia, in the island of Sumatra.
According to the USGS, the epicenter of the earthquake was 48 kilometers (30 miles) south-southeast of the city of Singkil in the Aceh province.
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There were no early reports of injuries or significant damage when it happened (it happened approximately 6:30 am local time, or 2330 GMT), and there was no tsunami warning.
The earthquake was recorded as having a magnitude of 6.2 by Indonesia’s Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG), however a witness told the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre that it was “felt in Medan” — 120 kilometers to the north-northeast of the epicenter.
Indonesia’s location on the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” where tectonic plates meet, causes regular seismic and volcanic activity. A 5.6-magnitude earthquake that struck the populated West Java province on Java’s main island on November 21 killed 602 people. The majority of the casualties perished when buildings fell down or landslides started.
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On December 26, 2004, one of Sumatra island’s deadliest earthquakes occurred, triggering a tsunami in the Indian Ocean that claimed more than 230,000 lives, including casualties from as far away as Sri Lanka, India, and Thailand.
The Banda Aceh shoreline on Sumatra was battered by 30-meter (100-foot) waves as a result of that strong 9.1-magnitude earthquake.
