Twin 6.8 & 6.9 magnitude earthquakes strike Indonesia

A pair of powerful earthquakes has rocked the Indonesian coast, measured
6.8 and 6.9 magnitude, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS), shaking
the island of Sumatra.

The two quakes struck off Sumatra’s western coast on Wednesday morning, with
an estimated depth of 22km (13 miles) and 26km (16 miles) respectively. The
first tremor impacted an area some 144km (89 miles) away from Bengkulu, while
the second came closer to the city at 130km (80 miles).

There are no reports of injuries as of yet, however local media said the
quakes shook the homes of island residents “as if a truck had passed” and did
“minor damage,” particularly to buildings with “poor construction.”

Two earthquakes (magnitude 6.8 and magnitude 6.9) happened less than 10 minutes apart from each other to the southwest of Bengkulu, Indonesia, according to the USGS. pic.twitter.com/UPadBXfmBO

— AccuWeather (@breakingweather) August 18, 2020

Indonesia sits along the Pacific Ocean’s ‘Ring of Fire,’ a seismically and
volcanically volatile region frequently hit by earthquakes. In addition to
being prone to quakes, the country also features some of the most active
volcanoes in the Ring – including Krakatoa, whose infamous 1883 eruption
became one of the most deadly volcanic blasts in recorded history.

www.rt.com