Strong earthquake jolts, unnerves Acehnese<\/p>\n
Nani Farida, The Jakarta Post, Banda Aceh, Aceh<\/p>\n
A powerful earthquake struck the war-torn province of Aceh on
\nFriday, prompting panicked residents to flee their homes and
\nother buildings.<\/p>\n
There were no immediate reports of casualties after the quake,
\nwhich measured 5.8 on the Richter scale. Nor were any structural
\ndamages reported.<\/p>\n
Residents said the tremor, which struck at 8:24 a.m., was felt
\nfor around 60 seconds in the provincial capital, Banda Aceh.<\/p>\n
The quake was centered 240 kilometers under the Banda Sea, or
\n10 kilometers southeast of Tapak Tuan town in South Aceh, said
\nthe head of Aceh's Meteorology and Geophysics Agency, Sahnan.<\/p>\n
Residents of South Aceh did not feel the earthquake, although
\nthe tremor was felt in Simeulue Island, adjacent to South Aceh.<\/p>\n
In 2002, a powerful earthquake hit Simeulue, leaving several
\npeople dead and some buildings damaged.<\/p>\n
The Indonesian Military is in the fourth month of a major
\noffensive aimed at crushing members of the rebel Free Aceh
\nMovement that has violently been campaigning for an independent
\nstate.<\/p>\n
Last month, a 5.3 magnitude quake damaged some 200 village
\nhomes and government buildings on Halmahera island, North Maluku.<\/p>\n
Earthquakes occur frequently throughout Indonesia, the world's
\nlargest archipelago nation that is prone to seismic upheavals
\nbecause of its location on the Pacific \"Ring of Fire\".<\/p>",
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