Aceh Shaken by Earthquake
Thursday, 21 February, 2008 | 14:29 WIB

TEMPO Interactive, Simeulue: Up until last night (20/2) at least three people were recorded as having died and 25 were injured due to an earthquake that shook the south of Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam Province.

“The numbers may increase,” said Zailani, a Natural Disaster Handling Division staff member at the Indonesian Red Cross (PMI) Center.

He explained that PMI personnel were still collecting data in the field.

“We'll send additional aid after the data from the location has been gathered and the results reported,” said Zailani.

For the time being, additional personnel being deployed there are only from the nearest PMI office.

“Sending additional personnel from PMI headquarters or other regions is not yet planned.”

An earthquake measuring 7.3 on the Richter scale took place at 15.08 WIB (Western Indonesian Time).

The epicenter was located around 40 kilometers Northwest of Sinabang, Simeulue regency.

“There have already been five aftershocks around the epicenter,” said Noviyanto, an officer on duty at the Meteorology and Geophysics Agency (BMG).

The strength of the aftershocks was between 4.5 and 5.5 on the Richter scale.

“Meulaboh city was one of the areas of quite serious damage.”

With the epicenter's depth at around 33 kilometers, the underground shocks were not followed by tsunami waves.

However, inhabitants panicked and ran outside their house heading towards higher ground to save themselves.

Houses and many other buildings were ruined, but as yet, there has not been any precise details as regards the damage caused.

An earthquake expert from the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI), Danny Hilman Natawidjaja, said that this earthquake had long been predicted.

“It's still a part of the Aceh-Nias earthquake series,” he said.

Danny also warned that aftershocks of relatively high strengthen will continue to occur during the next few weeks.

TOMI | GABRIEL | ROCHMI | MARDIYAH