VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

5.3-magnitude earthquake rocks Banda Aceh on Friday night - 

A 5.3-magnitude earthquake on Friday night jolted Banda Aceh, a city in the northernmost tip of Sumatra Island which had ever been hit by a deadly giant tsunami following an undersea megathrust earthquake in 2004.

The quake that occurred at around 11:43 p.m. was located at the coordinates at 5.14 north latitude and 94.46 east longitude, according to the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG).

The quake's epicenter was located around 106 kilometers south west of Banda Aceh, the capital of Aceh Province, at a depth of 10 kilometers, the agency revealed.

The earthquake whose tremors could be felt by residents in the city and its outskirts did not potentially trigger tsunami, the BMKG reported.

As of Saturday morning, there were no immediate reports of casualties following the quake.

Earthquakes regularly rock various parts of Indonesia since the country lies on the Circum-Pacific Belt, also known as the Ring of Fire, where several tectonic plates meet and cause frequent volcanic and seismic activities.

On April 17, 2021, a 5.5-magnitude earthquake also struck several areas in Aceh Besar District, Aceh Province.

Aceh had also experienced the deadliest ever earthquake, followed by tsunami, on December 26, 2004.

The catastrophe that also affected certain coastal areas in countries, such as Thailand, Sri Lanka, and India, reportedly killed some 230 thousand people.

The latest deadly earthquake to have rattled Indonesia was in West Sulawesi Province on January 15, 2021.

The 6.2-magnitude earthquake, ensued by several aftershocks, jolted the districts of Mamuju and Majene, claiming more than 100 lives and destroyed several buildings.

Sulawesi Island has repeatedly borne witness to deadly earthquakes. On September 28, 2018, for instance, a 7.4-magnitude earthquake hit several parts of Central Sulawesi Province.

The strong earthquake that was followed by a tsunami and soil liquefaction in Palu, the capital of Central Sulawesi Province, claimed 2,102 lives, injured 4,612, and rendered 680 others missing.

A total of 68,451 homes incurred serious damage, while 78,994 people were displaced.

The authorities and humanitarian workers decided to bury the large number of rotting corpses in mass graves//ANT