Jakarta: It was a devastating Saturday for Indonesia.
A strong earthquake measuring 6.8 on the Richter scale struck northern Sumatra on Saturday evening, according to the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ). The quake originated at an estimated depth of 183 km.
The epicentre was located near Pematangsiantar, around 126 kilometres southeast of North Sumatra capital Medan.
According to the US Geological Survey, the earthquake measured 6.9 on Richter scale.
The latest tremor follows an even more powerful 7.7-magnitude quake which struck Flores island, on Indonesia’s eastern coast, in the morning. At least 38 people were killed and extensive damage was caused to buildings and roads.
The morning earthquake triggered several aftershocks, prompting a tsunami warning that was later withdrawn.
The day’s second big earthquake hit northern Sumatra in western Indonesia, more than 4,000 kilometres from Flores island. However, no tsunami warning has been issued so far.