Strong earthquake hits Indonesia, tsunami warning lifted

[Ah Hai]

JAKARTA: A major 7.5-magnitude earthquake struck off Indonesia's Sulawesi island early on Monday, destroying houses and triggering a tsunami warning but there were no reports of fatalities, officials said.

The US Geological Survey (USGS), which initially said the quake had a magnitude of 7.8 before downgrading it to 7.5, said it struck 136 kilometres off the coastal town Gorontalo at a depth of 21 kilometres.

US officials issued a tsunami warning for an area within 1,000 kilometres of the epicentre, but a similar warning from Indonesian authorities was withdrawn shortly after being issued.

The Indonesian state-run Antara news agency said thousands of people fled their homes and hotel rooms in Gorontalo, with a population of several hundred thousand, when the quake struck around 1:02 am (1702 GMT Sunday).

It said one person had been injured and several buildings had collapsed in Gorontalo. One official told AFP that residents of Tolitoli, around 250 kilometres away, had also reported collapsed buildings.

"In an earthquake like this I think it's likely there will be victims," Indonesian geological official Sutiono said.

Police on Sulawesi were not immediately available for comment.

The Hawaii-based Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre warned that "this earthquake has the potential to generate a destructive regional tsunami along coasts located within a thousand kilometres of the earthquake epicentre."

It advised that authorities in the region "take immediate action to evacuate coastal areas."

"This earthquake is located outside the Pacific. No tsunami threat exists to coastlines in the Pacific," it added.

The USGS reported two powerful aftershocks.

The Indonesian archipelago straddles several continental plates in an area known as the Pacific Ring of Fire where seismic and volcanic activity is recorded on an almost daily basis.

Indonesia was the nation worst hit by the earthquake-triggered tsunami in December 2004 that killed more than 200,000 people in 11 countries across Asia, including over 168,000 people in Indonesia's Aceh province.

Monday's quake comes less than a week after Indonesia launched a high-tech tsunami warning system in a bid to prevent a repeat of tragedies like that in 2004.

The 1.4 trillion rupiah (130.2 million dollar) system is able to detect an earthquake at sea and predict within five minutes whether it could cause a tsunami.

The system, built with German technology and funding from a number of foreign nations, will eventually include 23 or 24 buoys linked by cables to detectors on the ocean floor.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said at the launch on Tuesday that Indonesia was "living on the edge."

"Three tectonic plates - the Eurasian, Indo-Australian and Pacific - meet here," Yudhoyono said.

"This kind of disaster can strike at any time." - AFP/de

 

[madmansg]

did any of the 50 story duxton at penis collapse ?

 

[american]

major 7.5-magnitude earthquake struck off Indonesia's Sulawesi island

7.5 is big; if it happens in Sumatra or Java, Singapore will feel it

 

[Bigfuck]

Don"t worry. When the real big one comes, it will coincide with death of one our "great" leaders and the downfall of the gang of fall, bring to end, hopefully, one of the last few communist regimes in disguise in the world.

Bigfuck still on holiday

 

[singveld]

too bad

it will be nice to get rid of the pirate

 

[Frankiestine]

too bad

it will be nice to get rid of the pirate

thats a good one....what those high state of the art craft can't do....it took a wave to do the job for them...but didn't the expert say that one is safe at sea when a tsunami hits..?

 

[Ah Hai]

Powerful quake rocks Taiwan

TAIPEI - A POWERFUL 6.0-magnitude earthquake jolted Taiwan on Tuesday but there were no immediate reports of damage, casualties or tsunamis, the Seismology Centre said.

The undersea tremor, which could be felt in the capital Taipei, struck at 11.16am (Singapore time) about 31 kilometres off south-eastern Taitung county at a depth of 30km, it said.

Taiwan, which lies near the junction of two tectonic plates, is regularly shaken by earthquakes. -- AFP
http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking+News/Asia/Story/STIStory_309349.html

 

[Ah Hai]

Large quake jolts Japan lifted

TOKYO - AN EARTHQUAKE with a preliminary magnitude of 6.1 jolted northern Japan at 8.17am (7.17am Singapore time) on Thursday, a government agency said.

There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage and no tsunami warning was issued after the quake, which the Japan Meteorological Agency said on its website (www.jma.go.jp) was centred off the north-east coast of Honshu island. -- REUTERS

 

[theblackhole]

Re: Large quake jolts Japan lifted

all these small quakes here and quakes there are signs of an impending big one that will swallow everything. so time to pray, repent, atone and say good-bye.

 

[Ah Hai]

Quake hits off Indonesia

JAKARTA - A 5.6-MAGNITUDE earthquake struck off the coast of the Indonesian island of Sumatra on Wednesday, the US Geological Survey said, but there were no immediate reports of damage or casualties.

The quake hit at 11.06 pm (12.06am Singapore time) 210 kilometres southwest of Bandar Lampung on the island's southern coast, at a depth of 35 kilometres, the USGS said.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre in Hawaii did not issue an alert for the region. -- AFP

 

[singveld]

thats a good one....what those high state of the art craft can't do....it took a wave to do the job for them...but didn't the expert say that one is safe at sea when a tsunami hits..?

they are not in sea all the time
they only go out for operation
most of time, they are hanging around the coast, preparing , gambling and praying.
i was hoping the tsunami hit them when they are not in the sea.

 

[Ah Hai]

Dec 19, 2008 Quake hits Indonesia's Maluku

JAKARTA - A 5.2-MAGNITUDE earthquake struck off the eastern Indonesian province of Maluku on Thursday, the US Geological Survey said, but there were immediate reports of damage or casualties.

The quake hit at 11.50 pm and its epicentre was about 170 kilometres north of Ternate in northern Maluku, the USGS said.

It was registered at a depth of 107 kilometres.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre in Hawaii did not issue an alert for the region. -- AFP

 

[Ah Hai]

Quake hits off Indon Sumatra

Dec 22, 2008
Quake hits off Indon Sumatra

JAKARTA - A 5.6-MAGNITUDE earthquake struck off the Indonesian island of Sumatra on Sunday, the US Geological Survey said, but there were no immediate reports of damage or casualties.

The quake hit at 8.47pm (9.47pm Singapore time), 75 kilometres southwest of Banda Aceh at a depth of 68 km, the USGS said.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre in Hawaii did not issue an alert for the region.

Indonesia was the country worst hit by the earthquake-triggered tsunami in December 2004 that killed more than 200,000 people in 11 nations across Asia, including more than 168,000 people in Indonesia's Aceh province alone.

Last month, it launched a high-tech tsunami warning system in a bid to prevent a repeat of the tragedy.

The Indonesian archipelago straddles several continental plates in an area known as the Pacific Ring of Fire, where seismic and volcanic activity is recorded on an almost daily basis. -- AFP

 

[myo539]

When the real big one comes, it will coincide with death of one our "great" leaders and the downfall of the gang of fall, bring to end, hopefully, one of the last few communist regimes in disguise in the world.

Did anyone say it was an omen??? Small one small omen, big one big omen?

 

[VIBGYOR]

Re: Quake hits off Indon Sumatra

Indonesia was the country worst hit by the earthquake-triggered tsunami in December 2004 that killed more than 200,000 people in 11 nations across Asia, including more than 168,000 people in Indonesia's Aceh province alone.

have you wondered why many who died in this way came from Asia?

 

[Ah Hai]

Dec 30, 2008 Quake hits off Sulawesi island

JAKARTA - A 5.7-MAGNITUDE quake struck off the Indonesian island of Sulawesi on Tuesday but there was no threat of a tsunami and no immediate reports of damage, the Meteorology and Geophysics Agency said.

The undersea quake struck at 10.20 am 157 kilometres northeast of Melonguane town in North Sulawesi province.

'There were no reports that the quake was felt anywhere,' agency geologist Subagio said.

There was no danger of a tsunami being triggered by the quake, whose epicentre was 107 kilometres under the seabed, he added.

Indonesia was the nation worst hit by the earthquake-triggered tsunami of December 2004 that killed some 168,000 people in Aceh province alone.

The archipelago nation sits on the Pacific 'Ring of Fire' where continental plates collide, causing frequent seismic and volcanic activity. -- AFP

 

[Ah Hai]

Quake rocks Philippines Dec 30, 2008

MANILA - A 5.3-MAGNITUDE earthquake struck the southern Philippines on Tuesday, the US Geological Survey said, but there were no reports of casualties or damage.

The undersea quake struck at 11.20am around 96km south-east of the southern city of General Santos on the island of Mindanao, the US agency said.

The quake was felt in various cities in Mindanao but was not large enough to cause any major damage or panic, said the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs).

A 6.2-magnitude quake was detected off General Santos City on Dec 25.

The archipelago nation, made up of more than 7,000 islands, sits on the Pacific 'Ring of Fire' where continental plates collide, causing frequent seismic and volcanic activity. -- AFP

 

[Ah Hai]

Strong quake hits off Indonesia's West Papua province Posted: 04 January 2009 0412 hr

MANOKWARI, Indonesia - A powerful 7.6-magnitude quake struck at sea off Indonesia's West Papua province early Sunday, the United States Geological Survey said, sending residents scurrying for high ground.

The quake, which hit at a shallow depth of 35 kilometres (22 miles), struck at 4:43 am (1943 GMT Saturday), about 150 kilometres northwest of Manokwari, the USGS said.

A tsunami alert was issued by the Indonesian Meteorology and Geophysics Agency (BMG) but was later withdrawn.

Distressed residents ran out of their homes as the quake rattled Manokwari, the seaside capital of the province, but there were no immediate reports of heavy damage or injuries, an AFP correspondent in the town said.

Thousands of residents including children and the elderly could be seen thronging the roads of the blacked-out town and heading away from the sea despite the tsunami warning being lifted.

Little damage could be seen initially in the town apart from cracked walls.

"The quake was quite strong and we felt it for about three minutes. The electricity blacked out after the quake so we haven't been able to check buildings for damage here yet," a policeman who identified himself as Ketut said.

"The police and military are working right now to help people get to higher ground due to the tsunami alert and the fact that we're on the coast," he said.

A smaller 5.1-magnitude quake also struck deep underground off Manokwari at 6:14 am as well as a 5.6-magnitude quake an hour earlier off the town of Labuanbajo on Flores island, the BMG said.

No tsunami alert was issued for either quake.

Indonesia, which sits at the meeting of continental plates, is frequently hit by earthquakes and tsunamis.

The deadly earthquake-triggered Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004 killed at least 168,000 people in the country's Aceh province and Nias island.

- AFP /ls

 

[Sammael]

Don"t worry. When the real big one comes, it will coincide with death of one our "great" leaders and the downfall of the gang of fall, bring to end, hopefully, one of the last few communist regimes in disguise in the world.

Bigfuck still on holiday

Let those ungrateful brats die...... maybe they can stop sand/granite shipments again unless we give them shares in our casion resorts

 

[Ah Hai]

Powerful Indonesian quakes kill at least four, injure dozens Posted: 04 January 20

MANOKWARI, Indonesia - A string of powerful earthquakes rattled Indonesia on Sunday, leaving at least four dead and dozens injured, and triggering panic in the nation hardest hit by the 2004 Asian tsunami.

Indonesian authorities cancelled a tsunami alert issued after the first of several strong quakes early Sunday morning, but by then thousands of people had fled their homes and were thronging roads leading from the coast.

A 7.6-magnitude undersea quake hit before dawn about 150 kilometres (100 miles) northwest of Manokwari, the main city in the province of West Papua, which lies on the Pacific Ocean in the far east of Indonesia's island chain.

A 7.5-magnitude aftershock and several smaller quakes, one as strong as magnitude 5.6, later rattled the region, according to US and Indonesian seismological authorities.

One of the main tourist hotels in Manokwari was toppled and at least three people were pulled out of the rubble alive. Electricity in the city was down, and cracks were seen in several buildings in the coastal resort.

Officials said initial reports did not indicate widespread damage, and most of Manokwari appeared to be untroubled by the string of quakes.

But according to local hospitals, four people were killed and another 37 people were treated for a variety of light injuries.

"The quake was quite strong and we felt it for about three minutes. The electricity blacked out after the quake," said a policeman in Manokwari who identified himself as Ketut.

"The police and military are working right now to help people get to higher ground."

An employee said Manokwari's Mutiara hotel was toppled by the second of the quakes, which hit around three hours after the first.

"Three hotel guests returned to their room after the first big quake. They failed to evacuate after the second powerful quake struck and got trapped in the hotel rubble," said the staffer, who gave his name as Harun.

"The three have been brought to a nearby hospital. But it's not clear what injuries they suffered."

Memories are still raw of the devastation wrought by the 2004 tsunami, which was set off by a massive undersea quake off the Indonesian island of Sumatra. The giant waves killed 168,000 in Indonesia's Aceh province and Nias island.

The Indonesian archipelago sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire, where continental plates meet and cause frequent seismic and volcanic activity.

The Ring of Fire stretches along the western coast of the Americas and through the island nations of the South Pacific and on through Southeast Asia.

The latest quakes triggered a small tsunami that hit the Japanese coast but there was no damage, Japan's Meteorological Agency said.

- AFP/CNA/ir