Mild quake jolts Tarutung

TARUTUNG, North Sumatra: A tectonic quake measuring 4.8 on the Richter scale rocked the township, about 300 kilometers south of Medan, at 11:36 a.m. yesterday.

There was no immediate report on casualties or damage caused by the mild earthquake that lasted about 15 seconds and sent residents out of their houses in panic, the Antara news agency reported.

Rihwar, a spokesman for the local office of meteorology and geophysics in Medan, said the quake had its epicenter 40 kilometers underground.

The town of 35,000 people is prone to quakes. In 1987, a quake measuring six on the Richter scale claimed several lives and caused damage to buildings. (pan)