Indonesia was hit by three earthquakes on Tuesday, with a 5.5-magnitude tremor hitting North Sumatra province, and two earlier quakes in Maluku and East Nusa Tenggara provinces, the country’s Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency reported.
The most significant earthquake struck North Sumatra at 5:22 a.m. local time, registering a 5.5-magnitude tremor. The epicenter was located 17 km southeast of North Tapanuli Regency at a depth of 10 km. Local authorities confirmed that one person was killed, and another injured in the quake.
Sri Wahyuni Pancasilawati, head of the emergency, equipment, and logistics unit of North Sumatra’s Provincial Disaster Management Agency, told Xinhua, “Several houses and a road were severely damaged, and the road is now impassable for transport.” She added that risk assessments were underway.
Earlier on Tuesday, at 00:32 a.m., a 5.7-magnitude earthquake struck Maluku province, initially recorded as a 6.0-magnitude tremor, before being revised downward. Just 10 minutes later, another earthquake, with a magnitude of 5.2, struck East Nusa Tenggara province.
Fortunately, no tsunami alert was issued following the three quakes, as the tremors were not expected to generate large waves.
Indonesia, located in the seismically active Pacific Ring of Fire, frequently experiences earthquakes due to its position on the tectonic plate boundaries. The country is also home to 127 active volcanoes.
