The Latest Indonesian Earthquake: West Sumatra

The quake struck late in the morning, at 1049 local time (0349 GMT), while many people were at work or school killing at least 70 people and injuring hundreds.

The magnitude 6.3 quake struck on Sumatra island and was felt as far away as neighboring Malaysia and Singapore, where some tall buildings were evacuated. It was followed by several strong aftershocks.

The U.S. Geological Survey said the tremor struck 20 miles below Solok. It was followed by several strong aftershocks, one measuring 6.0.

Tuesday’s quake was about 660 miles west of the country’s capital Jakarta.


Pre-Disaster Landsat over the Earthquake-Affected Areas Near Padang, West Sumatra, Indonesia

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Elevation over the Earthquake-Affected Areas Surrounding Padang, West Sumatra, Indonesia

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Some recent natural disasters in Indonesia (Source)

• March 6: An earthquake strikes Sumatra Island, killing at least 52 people and damaging hundreds of buildings.March 3: Landslides triggered by days of heavy rain kill at least 40 people in eastern Indonesia.
• Feb. 1: Rivers in the capital, Jakarta, burst their banks, submerging parts of the city in water up to 12 feet deep, killing 57 and displacing 450,000.
• Dec. 29, 2006: A ferry sinks in a storm, killing more than 400 people in the Java Sea.
• Dec. 23, 2006: Heavy rain touches off floods that kill more than 100 people and displace over 400,000 on Sumatra.
• July 17, 2006: An earthquake triggers a tsunami off Java island's southern coast, killing at least 600 people.
• June 19, 2006: Floods and mud flows kill up to 300 people in southern Sulawesi province.
• May 27, 2006: An earthquake in central Java kills at least 5,800 people and injures more than 36,000.
• May 2006: A series of explosions spew hot ash down the slopes of Mount Merapi, forcing 15,000 villagers to flee.
• May 2006: A mud eruption at a drilling shaft on Java displaces more than 11,000 people and inundates villages and factories, spewing a million oil drums of muck a day.
• Jan. 4, 2006: Some 200 people are killed in a landslide on Java.
• March 28, 2005: More than 900 people are killed and tens of thousands are left homeless when an earthquake hits Nias, Banyak and Simeulue islands off the coast of Sumatra.
• Dec. 26, 2004: An earthquake sets off a tsunami that kills more than 160,000 people in Indonesia, mostly in Aceh province on Sumatra.