Strong 6.4-Magnitude Quake Hits Off Indonesia’s Aceh; 20 Dead

Jakarta: At least 20 people have died after a strong 6.4-magnitude earthquake struck off Aceh province in the north of the Indonesian island of Sumatra early on Wednesday. Seismologists said there was no tsunami alert.

The shallow quake hit 10 kilometres (six miles) north of Reuleuet at 5:03 AM local time, the US Geological Survey said. Aceh was devastated by the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.

In its initial assessment, the USGS said there was a low likelihood of casualties and damage. In June a 6.5-magnitude quake struck off the west of Sumatra damaging scores of buildings and injuring eight people.

Indonesia experiences frequent seismic and volcanic activity due to its position on the Pacific Ring of Fire, where tectonic plates collide. Sumatra is particularly prone to quakes.

Aceh province on the tip of the island was devastated by the quake-triggered tsunami in 2004 that killed more than 170,000 people in Indonesia and tens of thousands more in other countries around the Indian Ocean.

(AFP)