Strong earthquake hits Sumatra

A strong earthquake rocked a large area of Indonesia’s Sumatra Island today, shaking buildings and causing panic, witnesses and a meteorological official said.

There were no immediate reports of damage as a result of the undersea quake that struck at 8.52am local time (2.52 am Irish time), said Budi Waluyu of the government’s geophysical and meteorological agency.

“It was strongly felt,” across west Sumatra and outlying islands, he said.

In a posting on its website, the US Geological Survey put the preliminary strength of the quake at 6.8 and said its epicentre was located 130 miles south west of Medan in north Sumatra.

Undersea quakes of 6.8-strength rarely trigger large tsunami.

Callers to el-Shinta radio station from Medan, a large city on Sumatra, said tall buildings shook as a result of the quake and some residents ran from their homes.

Sumatra has experienced countless earthquakes since a massive tsunami-producing tremor off its coast on December 26.

The disaster killed more than 128,000 in Aceh and more than 40,000 in 10 other countries across the Indian Ocean. Three months later, an earthquake caused extensive damage on Nias island, leaving more than 900 dead.