Quake Sends Acehnese Fleeing From Parliament

BY AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

Banda Aceh, TAG –  A moderate earthquake struck off Indonesia’s Sumatra island on Tuesday, Indonesian meteorology and geophysics (BMKG) said, sending people running in fear from Aceh province’s parliament building.



The 5.1-quake hit at 10:24 a.m. at a depth of around 15 kilometers, 129 kilometers southwest of the provincial capital Banda Aceh, the BMKG said in its website.

“The epicenter was located in the sea and was felt by people in Banda Aceh,” said Arif Achir of Indonesia’s meteorology and geophysics agency, adding there was no tsunami threat or immediate reports of damage.



The quake lasted around 45 seconds, sending people who were join the counting of last Monday local elections running from parliament and children from classrooms.



Aceh province was shaken last Wednesday by two huge earthquakes that triggered an Indian Ocean-wide tsunami alert.



At a magnitude of 8.6, the first of the two quakes was the strongest to hit since the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami that killed 170,000 in Aceh. No major damage was reported.[]