Earthquake rocks western Indonesia

A young girl reportedly killed and others injured after a quake measuring 5.9 hit Aceh province.

Aceh map

A 5.9-magnitude earthquake has struck the western Indonesian island of Sumatra, reportedly killing one person.

The quake hit Aceh province around dawn on Tuesday.

Local media said it was felt strongly in the capital Banda Aceh and surrounding districts. It hit at a depth of 37km
with its epicentre about 112km southeast of Banda Aceh.

Serambi newspaper and other local outlets reported that one girl was killed and several other people injured.

Aceh is often rocked by earthquakes. Indonesia sits on the Pacific “Ring of Fire” where continental plates collide, causing frequent seismic and volcanic activity.

In 2004, a temblor off its shores triggered a tsunami that killed 230,000 people across Asia. Most of the deaths were in Aceh.

Source: News Agencies