Status: 02/25/2022 5:00 p.m
In the morning, the earth suddenly trembled on the Indonesian island of Sumatra. Thousands have to leave their homes. Some buildings collapse, there are dead and injured. The authorities are now warning of landslides.
At least seven people died and many were injured in a severe earthquake on the Indonesian island of Sumatra. The 6.2-magnitude quake struck Friday morning in northern Sumatra at a depth of about twelve kilometers, the US earthquake agency said. 5000 people had to leave their homes, several collapsed. Most of the injured are from Pasaman and West Pasaman counties, the national disaster response agency said.
Collapsed and damaged houses can be seen in images from the town of Pasaman, near the epicenter. Bricks lie on the ground, and there are gaping holes in some of the house walls. Some buildings are still standing, but have cracks and are in danger of collapsing, according to local authorities. A civil protection worker said the mayor had ordered the upper floors of homes to be cleared.
A man stands in front of a house destroyed by an earthquake in the Indonesian city of Pasaman.
Image: dpa
Danger of landslides due to soggy slopes
The Indonesian weather service called on residents of the region to stay away from slopes due to the risk of landslides due to the rainy season. The tremors were also felt in Indonesia’s neighboring countries Singapore and Malaysia. However, there was no danger of a tsunami.
Earthquake zone on the Pacific Ring of Fire
The earth keeps shaking in Indonesia, the island state is located on the Pacific Ring of Fire, where tectonic plates meet. The earth trembles again and again, and volcanoes erupt.
A very strong seaquake at Christmas 2004 killed 220,000 people, most of them with 170,000 in Indonesia.