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Magnitude 6.6 earthquake hits western Indonesia amid massive floods, landslides
According to the United States Geological Survey, the quake struck Simeulue Island at a depth of 25 kilometres.
An earthquake of magnitude 6.6 hit Indonesia's Sumatra island near Aceh province on Thursday, even as the island grapples natural disasters, including a tropical cyclone.
According to the United States Geological Survey, the quake struck Simeulue Island at a depth of 25 kilometres, and there were no immediate reports of damage and tsunami warning. The Indian Ocean tsunami warning centre also said that “there is no threat” of a potential tsunami in the wake of the earthquake, AFP reported.
This comes even as 28 people were killed in the floods and landslides triggered due to torrential rain in the North Sumatra province.
Meanwhile, a rare tropical cyclone ‘Senyar’ blew across the Sumatra island on Wednesday, inundating the Malacca Strait and worsening the situation, the country's meteorological agency said.
Rescue efforts also took a hit due to a “total cut-off” of roads and communications, an official told Reuters. Abdul Muhari, spokesperson for the country's disaster mitigation agency, said another ten people were missing amid the floods.
Around 8,000 people were evacuated across North Sumatra, and aid and logistics are being arranged via helicopter as roads remain blocked due to landslide debris, Muhari said.
More flooding expected in Sumatran provinces
Flooding has impacted the Indonesian provinces of West Sumatra and Aceh, Reuters quoted authorities as saying.
The regions of Sibolga and Central Tapanuli were among the hardest hit Yuyun Karseno, an official at the agency's North Sumatra division, said. “Until now we can't communicate with folks in Sibolga and Central Tapanuli,” Yuyun said.
More flooding is expected in other Sumatran provinces, including Aceh and Riau, over the next couple of days, the Indonesian meteorological agency said citing extreme weather.
Visuals shared by Indonesia's search and rescue agency show rapid currents of water overflowing the region, and leaving buildings damaged, Reuters reported. The footages showed rescuers using orange rafts to visit the flooded homes of residents in Central Tapanuli.
