Indonesia: A series of aftershocks after an earthquake of 7.8 Richter scale

Indonesia and Australia issued a tsunami warning but withdrew after two hours. Predicting casualties, the damage is not great because the location of the earthquake occurred quite far from the residential area.

On the morning of March 3, a number of strong aftershocks continued to shake Sumatra (Indonesia) after the area struck a magnitude of 7.8 on the previous night. The National Meteorological and Geographic Agency (IMGA) said there were six aftershocks during the night of March 2 to March 3.

The US Geological Survey (USGS) measured a strong aftershock of 5.6 Richter, taking place at a depth of 10km, the same location where the earthquake was very strong 7.8-degree Richer last night.

The magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck off the western island of Sumatra around 8 pm 2/3 (Indonesian time). The USGS initially measured the earthquake as strong as 8.2 on the Richter scale but then redefined it to 7.8 on the Richter scale. The epicenter is located at a depth of 24km under the seabed. The location of the earthquake is 659km from the nearest town of Indonesia's Muara Siberut, 808km from Padang City.

Padang city residents evacuated to avoid the risk of tsunamis.(Photo: REUTERS).

The IMGA broadcast a tsunami warning. Residents in Muara Siberut town and other panic-stricken areas pulled together to run to the highlands. However, the warning was lifted two hours later because the IMGA assessed the risk of tsunami negligible. Tsunami did not happen.

By the time of mid-March 3, there was still no information about casualties and damage from the earthquake of 7.8 on the Richter scale by 2/3 but it is expected to be negligible because of the location of the earthquake quite far residential area, according to IMGA Director Andi Eka Sakya. An initial report from Indonesia's National Search and Rescue Agency showed that people died but later retracted this information. The IMGA predicts there will be no stronger earthquakes, calling on people to remain calm.

Padang city residents evacuated to avoid the risk of tsunamis.(Photo: REUTERS).

Fluttering from this magnitude 7.8 earthquake spread to Singapore, which is 1,237km away, the Strait Times (Singapore) reports from the Singapore Police Department.

Australia also issued a tsunami warning on the Cocos and Christmas islands, but did not recommend people to evacuate. India announced that the Indonesian earthquake has no risk of creating tsunamis in India.

In December 2004 in Sumatra, there was also a 9.1 magnitude earthquake that created a horrifying tsunami up to 17.4m, killing about 230,000 people in dozens of Asian countries, mostly in Aceh province on Sumatra island of Indonesia (126,741 people). A series of residential areas were cleared from the map at a glance.