6.3-Magnitude Quake Hits Indonesia’s Sumatra island (Representative Image: Wikepedia)
A 6.3-magnitude earthquake struck Indonesia’s Sumatra island on Thursday, hitting an area close to Aceh province, according to the Indonesian Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG). The island has already been struggling with multiple natural disasters this week, making the situation even more challenging. Indonesia’s geophysics agency reported that the quake occurred at a depth of 10 kilometres. The agency also confirmed that the tremor did not pose any tsunami threat.
At least 28 people have lost their lives in North Sumatra province after severe floods and landslides caused by relentless heavy rain. Rescue operations have been extremely difficult.
A local official told Reuters that the disaster response teams were facing major obstacles because there was a “total cut-off” of roads and communications, making it hard to reach affected communities.
Adding to the island’s problems, a rare tropical cyclone named ‘Senyar’ swept across Sumatra on Wednesday. Indonesia’s meteorological agency said the cyclone caused flooding in the Malacca Strait and made the already severe conditions worse. Indonesia, located on the seismically active Pacific “Ring of Fire,” is highly vulnerable to earthquakes and volcanic activity.
Also Read: Cyclone Senyar Weakens Over Indonesia, Heavy Rain Threatens Tamil Nadu, Kerala
