A fresh magnitude 6.8 earthquake struck Northern Sumatra on Saturday, hours after a magnitude 7.7 earthquake off eastern Indonesia killed at least 38 people and triggered tsunami warnings.
The German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ) recorded the Northern Sumatra earthquake at magnitude 6.4 and said it occurred at a depth of 158 km. India Today reported the tremor at magnitude 6.8.
A separate magnitude 5.8 earthquake also struck near the north coast of Papua New Guinea on Saturday, GFZ said. The quake was recorded at a depth of 10 km.
38 killed in eastern Indonesia
At least 38 people died after the magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck off eastern Indonesia on Saturday, according to officials.
“As of 15:00 (0800 GMT), the recorded figures are 38 fatalities, two people seriously injured, 11 with minor injuries,” Suharyanto, head of Indonesia’s National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB), said at a televised press conference.
About 2,000 people fled to safer areas, he said.
Tsunami waves of less than 1 metre were recorded in several parts of Indonesia. The tsunami warning was lifted about three hours after the earthquake.
Rescue workers had yet to reach Nagekeo, the region closest to the epicentre, as landslides blocked road access and communications had been affected, according to officials.
Papua New Guinea also hit by quake
A magnitude 5.8 earthquake struck near the north coast of Papua New Guinea on Saturday, GFZ said.
The quake occurred at a depth of 10 km.
The fresh tremors came as Indonesia continued rescue operations following the deadly earthquake in the country’s east.
More aftershocks reported
The 7.7-magnitude earthquake was followed by dozens of aftershocks. Strong shaking was reported across East Nusa Tenggara, West Nusa Tenggara and parts of South Sulawesi.
Residents in several areas said the shaking lasted for about a minute, BNPB said.
“The quake was massive, the shock was so strong, we were resting at home with family,” Nona, a 51-year-old resident of Talibura in East Nusa Tenggara, told Reuters. “There were 13 of us inside the house and we all ran to save ourselves.”
The Indonesian geophysics agency BMKG recorded the first earthquake at 4:58 a.m. local time at a depth of 15 km. Several aftershocks followed.
The same area was hit by a magnitude 7.5 earthquake in 1992, which caused extensive destruction, BMKG said.
