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A
major earthquake struck the Banyak
Islands, between Simeulue and Nias Islands, off the coast of Sumatra, Indonesia on
7 April 2010 at 05:15 AM local time.
It had a magnitude of Mw=7.8 causing some damage and
several injuries in the epicentral region. Despite it size but
given its location, it did not generate a destructive tsunami
although a small, local tsunami was reported and recorded.
This is the strongest earthquake in this immediate region since a
Mw=7.4 earthquake on 20 February 2008.
The earthquake
was centred 13.9 kms N of Pulau
Tuangku (Banyak Islands), Indonesia,
25 kms W of Pulau Ujung Batu (Banyak Islands),
Indonesia,
77 kms W of Singkil (Sumatra), Indonesia,
85 kms ESE of Sinabang (Simeulue
Island), Indonesia,
131.6 kms NW of Gunungsitoli (Nias Island),
Indonesia,
218 kilometres SW of Medan (Sumatra), Indonesia,
225 kilometres SE of Meulaboh (Sumatra), Indonesia,
430 kilometres SE of Banda Aceh (Sumatra), Indonesia,
513 kilometres W of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia,
520 kms WNW of Pekanbaru (Sumatra), Indonesia,
621 kilometres SE of Campbell Bay (Great Nicobar Island), India,
750 kms WNW of Sentosa, Singapore,
1,307 kms SSW of Bangkok, Thailand.
At least 62 people were injured in this earthquake in Sumatra,
Indonesia. At least 6 injuries were critical due to house
collapses, 4 due to electricity poles falling on them and one person suffered a non-fatal heart attack.
Several houses collapsed in the village of Teupah Selatan on
Simeulue Island. Buildings sustained damaged elsewhere on the
island, including two government buildings, and electricity poles
were uprooted knocking out power to the entire island. On Nias
Island and on Simeulue Island, strong tremors sent the residents
of Guningsitoli, Sinabang and other towns running for higher
ground. The earthquake caused a power failure in Banda Aceh and in
Medan adding to the panic. Telecommunication networks were also
disrupted in Aceh where many people fled to higher ground fearing
a tsunami. At Banda Aceh, the earthquake was felt for close to a
minute sending people running outdoors. The dome of the Sementara
Masjid collapsed at Pemuka village in Singkil. Several houses were
flooded by "knee-high" water in Singkil at Pasar, Pulo Saro,
Singkil Lama, Titi Ambria and Ujung, when land alongside the river
subsided by as much as 30-centimetres. Tremors were also felt at
the Arun LNG plant in Lhokseumawe and in the port of Belawan;
power supply was disrupted at the port but no damage was reported. Tremors were felt strongly
throughout Sumatra Uttara province and at Medan where people
rushed outdoors in panic across the city including at the city's
main hospital. At Binjai, many people ran outdoors. At Sibolga,
the quake was felt strongly for close to a minute, pulled down
utility poles and knocked a motorcycle rider off his bike. Tremors
caused panic at Takengon and were also felt at Sigli and Langsa; a
power failure occurred at Langsa after the earthquake. At
Sibulusalam, a three storey nursing academy was damaged. Shocks
were also felt in Sumatera Barat and in Riau regency. At Pekanbaru,
in Riau regency, patients at the district hospital were evacuated
into the parking lot even though the building did not sustain any
damage.
Light tremors were felt as far away as Singapore, Malaysia and
Thailand.
In Malaysia, tremors were felt in many parts of the country
including in high-rise buildings at Petaling Jaya and on Penang
island including those on Macallum Street, Rifle Range and Sungai
Ara causing fear among residents.
In Thailand, tremors were felt in Songhkla province and in the
southern city of Hat Yai. According to the USGS CIIM, tremors were
felt as far as Malé in the Maldive Islands.
A small local tsunami was generated by this earthquake. In the
Banyak Islands, several boats were marooned, damaging five, when the sea rushed
onshore. Several houses were submerged. However, there were no
casualties as most of the island's residents had headed for higher
ground. The tsunami was also recorded at tide guages at Singkil
and Teluk Dalam. Press reports claimed the sea level dropped
"several metres" that prompted many people to flee to higher
ground in coastal Sumatra. There was some panic in the villages
of Gunong Kleng Putong suak on the border of West Aceh and Nagan
Raya, after rumours of a rise in the sea level. Hundreds of
residents of Barat Daya, , Sialang, Suak Bakong and Pulo Air in
the sub-district of Kluet Selatan evacuated to Sapik Durian Kawan
villages in the Kluet Timur sub-district. Many residents of
Kemumue village and other villages living on the coast in
Labuhan Haji sub-district in South Aceh regency, moved to higher
areas. From Aceh Barat regency, thousands of residents living in
the coastal areas, especially in the regency capital of Meulaboh
also moved to higher regions.
A tsunami watch
was issued by the PTWC but later lifted for the coast of Indonesia.
Tsunami watches were also issued by local agencies in Indonesia,
Malaysia and Thailand but were later lifted. In Malaysia, tsunami
advisories were issued for Kedah, Perlis and Pinang. In Thailand,
advisories were issued for the coastal areas of all provinces on
the Andaman Sea and asked residents to prepare to evacuate in case
deemed necessary. Tsunami advisories were not issued for the
Indian mainland or for the Andaman & Nicobar islands after INCOIS
models determined the event posed no danger.
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