A strong earthquake measuring 5.9 on the Richter scale shook Indonesia’s tsunami-deva ed province of Aceh on Saturday causing residents to flee their homes, an official said.
There were no immediate reports of damage or casualties.
The undersea quake hit at 10.30am local time at a depth of 47km, some 10km west of the provincial capital Banda Aceh, Syahnan, head of Aceh’s meteorology office, told Agence France-Presse.
“We have not yet received any reports of damage or casualties but it was quite a strong tremor,” he said.
On December 26 2004, Aceh was hit by a 9,3-magnitude quake off Sumatra that triggered tsunamis that killed more than 220 000 people around the Indian Ocean, including 168 000 people in Aceh alone.
Indonesia sits on the Pacific “Ring of Fire”, where the meeting of continental plates causes frequent seismic activity.
A geographical fault line runs parallel to the Indonesian island of Sumatra and tectonic activities along it have repeatedly led to strong earthquakes. — AFP