Jakarta, Sept. 11 (BNA) About 200 people were evacuated to higher ground after a 6.1-magnitude earthquake hit islands in western Indonesia on Sunday, causing some property damage, the country’s disaster mitigation agency said.
The authorities said the quake, which struck the Mentawai Islands, west of Sumatra, occurred at a depth of 27 km, and was followed by a 5.3-magnitude quake in the same area. According to Reuters, there was no risk of a tsunami.
One person was hit in the head by falling firewood, the disaster agency said, and a school and health center suffered minor damage.
Nurguli Hasna, a Mentawai resident, said the quake was felt strong and shook her wooden house. “Some residents are still in an evacuation shelter and some have returned to their homes,” she added.
On Sunday, east of the vast Indonesian archipelago, a 7.6-magnitude earthquake hit the East New Guinea region of Papua New Guinea, damaging property and spreading panic among residents.
Indonesia lies on both sides of the “Pacific Ring of Fire”, where the various tectonic plates of the Earth’s crust meet and cause frequent seismic activity.
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