Powerful 6.9-magnitude earthquake strikes off Indonesia: Panic as tremors send ‘screaming’ islanders running from their homes
- The earthquake happened at a depth of 73 miles in the Banda Sea, Indonesia
- Residents on Kisar Island were woken by shaking beds and many fled homes
- No immediate injuries have been reported by officials and a tsunami is unlikely
A powerful earthquake hit eastern Indonesia on Wednesday evening, causing ‘screaming’ islanders to flee from their homes.
The quake measured a magnitude of 6.9 and struck in the Banda Sea, the European Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) said.
Residents on Kisar Island screamed as they were awoken by shaking beds before fleeing their properties.
‘People were asleep, we screamed. People ran because of the quake, beds shook,’ said Oce Karmomyana, who added that no damage had been caused.
The quake measured a magnitude of 6.9 and struck in the Banda Sea around 128 miles northwest of Saumlaki, the European Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) said
A resident on Kisar Island (pictured) described how ‘screaming’ people fled their homes after they were woken by shaking beds
The earthquake happened at a depth of 73 miles below sea level and struck 128 miles northwest of its nearest city Saumlaki, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
The Richter scale – used to measure earthquakes – classes a magnitude of 6.9 as ‘strong’. A quake of this scale would likely cause damage to well-built structures and would be felt across vast distances.
The earthquake is understood to have also been felt in the Southeast Asian nation of Timor-Lester.
It was not powerful enough to trigger a tsunami in the Indian Ocean region, the Indonesia Tsunami Service Provider said.
The USGS said the quake caused moderate shaking but injuries to Indonesia’s 260million-strong population were unlikely.
The country is located in the so-called Ring of Fire, a 25,000-mile chain of 452 volcanoes around the edge of the tectonic place that lies beneath the Pacific Ocean.
It is estimated that around 90% of the world’s earthquakes occur in the horse-shoe shaped ring, which loops from New Zealand to Chile.
It is estimated that around 90% of the world’s earthquakes occur in the horse-shoe shaped Ring of Fire, as highlighted above
Indonesia’s location means it is one of the most disaster-prone nations and often experiences earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and tsunamis.
The island faced its most devastating tsunami on Boxing Day 2004 after an unprecedented 9.5 magnitude earthquake struck off the west coast of northern Sumatra.
A series of relentless tsunami waves that reached staggering heights of up to 100ft killed 226,000 people across Indian Ocean shorelines, including more than 126,000 in Indonesia.
It was one of the deadliest natural disasters in recorded history, with northern regions of the Indonesian island of Sumatra quickly devastated by mass waves.
Four years later in 2018, a tsunami hit the city of Palu in Sulawesi island, killing thousands.
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