Powerful earthquake shakes Indonesia’s Sumatra, kills 1

Magnitude 5.9 earthquake struck about 40km northeast of Sibolga, a coastal city in North Sumatra province, US Geological Survey says

Man, 62, died of a heart attack while fleeing to safety; 11 people injured and more than a dozen houses and buildings damaged

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People gather outside their homes following an earthquake off Indonesia’s Mentawai Islands off West Sumatra province on September 11, 2022. Photo: AFP

Published: 8:31pm, 1 Oct 2022

A strong and shallow earthquake shook Indonesia’s Sumatra island on Saturday, killing a resident, injuring 11 and damaging more than a dozen houses and buildings, police said.

The magnitude 5.9 earthquake struck about 40km (24.8 miles) northeast of Sibolga, a coastal city in North Sumatra province, according to the US Geological Survey. It was 13km deep.

The predawn earthquake was followed by two 5.0-magnitude aftershocks.

Medical workers treat a survivor, injured from falling debris from buildings after an earthquake in North Tapanuli in northern Sumatra on Saturday. Photo: AFP/BPBD

A 62-year-old man died of a heart attack while fleeing to safety in Tarutung village, which is closest to the epicentre, said local police chief Johanson Sianturi. Eleven people were injured and at least 15 houses and buildings damaged in the village, he added.

Authorities were still investigating the full extent of the damage.

Footage released by the National Disaster Mitigation Agency showed several residents evacuating an injured person by a van to a hospital while panicked voices cried for help. The agency also showed several people receiving treatment and walls cracked by the earthquake.

Indonesian Meteorology and Geophysics Agency head Dwikorita Karnawati advised residents to watch for further tremors and urged people to seek shelter on safe ground.

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