Asia-Pacific

Earthquake rocks western Indonesia

A young girl reportedly killed and others injured after a quake measuring 5.9 hit Aceh province.
Last Modified: 22 Jan 2013 03:50

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.

114

Source:
Agencies
Topics in this article
Country
Featured on Al Jazeera
Al Jazeera's exclusive publishing of a key Guantanamo prison military document lays bare the brutality of force-feeding.
Former military official says poverty and anger in indigenous communities mean conditions for an "insurgency" are ripe.
A four-part series that gives a rare insight into the country on the move, with history in tow.
Series on the Palestinian 'catastrophe' of 1948 that led to dispossession and conflict that still endures.
Featured
A four-part series that gives a rare insight into the country on the move, with history in tow.
Series on the Palestinian 'catastrophe' of 1948 that led to dispossession and conflict that still endures.
Two years since the start of the uprising, rebels and Assad's forces remain locked in conflict.
China aims to expand its influence in the resource rich area.
Extensive coverage of war crimes tribunals and controversial calls for blasphemy laws.
join our mailing list