A strong, shallow earthquake shook the main island of western Indonesia and the Philippines on Monday, leaving buildings and residents in a state of panic. Authorities in both countries said there were no immediate reports of injuries or damage.
The US Geological Survey said a magnitude 6.7 earthquake shook the west coast of the island of Sumatra in Indonesia and a magnitude 6.4 earthquake 110 km off the island of Luzon in the Philippines.
At 4:06 GMT, a magnitude 21.0 earthquake shook Indonesia, 167 kilometers west of the city of Pariman in Sumatra. The epicenter was reported below the ground, however; no tsunami alert was issued.
At 5:05 AM (21:05 GMT), an earthquake shook the Philippines, and residents in the capital, Manila, were shaken by the quake. But no damage was reported, according to the Philippine Volcanoes and Seismological Survey.
Islands are often affected by earthquakes
The epicenter was reported below the Pacific Ocean floor, however; no tsunami alert was issued. The Indonesian Meteorological Agency (BKMG) said the quake was followed by strong aftershocks.
Indonesia and the Philippines are prone to frequent earthquakes due to their position on the Pacific “Ring of Fire” where tectonic plates meet.
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Last month, a magnitude 6.2 earthquake shook the region of North Sumatra in Indonesia, killing at least a dozen people and destroying homes and a mosque. In 2004, a magnitude 9.1 earthquake off the coast of Sumatra triggered a tsunami that killed at least 220,000 people across the region, including about 170,000 in Indonesia.