[UPDATED] Major quake hits south Sumatra, shocks felt in peninsula’s west coast

KUALA LUMPUR – A 7.0-magnitude earthquake hit the south of Sumatra at 4am this morning, with shocks felt in states along the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia.

The quake, some 85-km northwest of Siberut and 177-km northwest of Mentawai, had a depth of 49km.

The strongest shocks were felt in the western, southwestern, and northern parts of Siberut.

Meanwhile, scores of videos posted on various social media platforms showed villagers in the Mentawai islands leaving their homes to get to higher ground despite the heavy rain in the aftermath of the quake.

Indonesia’s Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysical Agency (BMKG) had also issued a tsunami alert for Tanabala Island, South Nias, and northern Sumatra.

However, the alert ended nearly two-and-a-half hours after the quake.

Efek dari gempa 7,3 SR di mentawai Sumatera Barat (Sumbar), warga diharapkan utk menjauhi pantai dan evakuasi diri ke daerah ketinggian

Jam 3 disana hujan deras, namun warga harus berlari ke arah bukit. Semoga semua aman, tidak terjadi tsunami dan tidak ada korban jiwa. #Gempa pic.twitter.com/d70XcRIWLN

— RT & Like (@RTdanLIKE) April 24, 2023

So far, no casualties have been reported and the damage has yet to be determined.

According to Antara news, BMKG reported that an 11cm-high tsunami was observed in south Nias, north of Sumatra.

The agency also said the quake was a megathrust event, which is described as a very strong quake that occurs in a subduction zone, a region where one of the Earth’s tectonic plates is thrust under another.

While tremors could be felt in some locations in the peninsula’s west coast, there is no threat of a tsunami to Malaysia.

MetMalaysia has asked for those who felt the shocks from the quake to fill up this form.

Less than two weeks ago, a 7.0-magnitude quake was recorded in the sea north of the main Indonesian island of Java, the US Geological Survey said on April 14.

Indonesia experiences frequent quakes due to its position on the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” an arc of intense seismic activity that stretches from Japan through Southeast Asia and across the Pacific basin. – The Vibes, April 25, 2023