JP/5/QUAKE

Major earthquake rocks Sinabang

Apriadi Gunawan The Jakarta Post/Medan

An earthquake measuring 6.0 on the Richter scale shook the area around Sinabang island in North Sumatra on Thursday night, causing panic among residents of the island.

The earthquake, one of the largest since the massive quake measuring 8.7 on the Richter scale struck Nias island on March 28, was felt on Nias and in Medan city, the capital of North Sumatra. There were no immediate reports of fatalities or damage.

A Medan-based seismologist, Lewi Rustiono, said the earthquake hit at 9:07 p.m. The epicenter was 30 kilometers below the waters near Sinabang island, which is located between Simeulue and Nias islands.

Lewi said the quake could be felt on Nias and Simeulue islands, and in several cities in North Sumatra such as Medan, Padang Sidempuan and Sibolga.

Wana Ramadani, a resident of Gayo Lues, Southeast Aceh regency, said the earthquake was felt strongly in the area, causing some residents to flee their homes.

Residents had returned to their homes by Friday as fears of further aftershocks subsided, she said.

In Medan, residents also fled their homes after the earthquake although there was much less panic compared to the March 28 quake.

Residents quickly returned to their homes on Thursday after it became clear that no damage had been caused to their houses.

The March 28 earthquake on Nias claimed hundreds of lives and injured thousands of others. It happened only months after an earthquake measuring 9.3 on the Richter scale hit in the waters near Aceh province, triggering a deadly tsunami. The Dec. 26 earthquake and tsunami claimed over 125,000 lives in Aceh.