Lightning is not supposed to strike the same place twice. Tragically, the same cannot be said of earthquakes.
The powerful quake which hit Indonesia on Monday night comes only three months after the same area was devastated by the Asian tsunami.
It is a cruel blow, which has added greatly to the terror and trepidation already felt by those who have been living in fear of another disaster.
The 8.7 magnitude earthquake was not as powerful as the one which caused the tsunami, resulting in the loss of almost 300,000 lives in 11 countries. But it ranks among the eight strongest recorded since 1900.
Nias, an island off Sumatra, has been worst hit. Early reports suggest that thousands have been killed or wounded. Buildings have been flattened.
Our hearts go out to the victims. Many of them survived the horror of the tsunami. Now they find themselves facing a new disaster.
