Strong 6.8 Earthquake strikes off Indonesia's west coast, Tsunami warning issued

A tsunami warning has been issued an earthquake of magnitude 6.8 struck off the southwest of Sumatra, Indonesia. As per the information by the US Geological Survey, a 6.8-magnitude earthquake struck the west coast of Indonesia on Friday evening (IST). In the aftermath of the earthquake, the Indonesian geophysics Agency has issued a Tsunami warning.

As per the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the earthquake hit at a depth of 59km (37 miles), about 227km (141 miles) from the city of Teluk Betung on the island of Sumatra. The quake shook multiple buildings in the capital city of Jakarta.

As per media reports, there have no immediate reports of damage or casualties, but strong tremors were felt in Jakarta, causing panic among the people around the region.

Indonesia's disaster mitigation agency also took to Twitter asking the residents of Banten coast and nearby areas to "immediately evacuate to higher ground". The epicentre of the quake is said to be the south of Java island in the Indian Ocean.

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Earlier on July 8, a strong magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck off Indonesia the US Geological Survey reported. The quake triggered a brief tsunami warning following which the panicked residents fled to the higher grounds.

The Southeast Asian nation is one of the most disaster-hit on Earth due to its position straddling the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, where tectonic plates collide. Earthquakes and tsunamis have claimed thousands of lives in recent years

In 2018, a 7.5-magnitude quake and a subsequent tsunami in Palu on Sulawesi island took more than 2,200 lives with a thousand more declared missing. Indonesia has been hit by a string of deadly quakes including a devastating 2004 tremor measuring 9.1 magnitude that struck off the coast of Sumatra and triggered a tsunami that killed 220,000 throughout the region, including 168,000 in Indonesia.

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(With PTI inputs)