A magnitude 6.1 earthquake struck inland near the western coast of Indonesia’s Sumatra island on Friday, killing at least two people and causing tremors that were felt in neighboring Singapore and Malaysia, officials and witnesses said.
The quake, which did not have the potential to cause a tsunami, caused residents to flee buildings in some areas including in the city of Padang in West Sumatra province and even triggered evacuations in Malaysia.
“We continue to monitor and advise people to remain on alert,” Dwikorita Karnawati, the head of Indonesia’s geophysics agency BMKG, told MetroTV. The agency initially put the magnitude at 6.2.
Indonesia’s disaster mitigation agency chief Suharyanto said at least two people were killed and some buildings including a government office, homes and a bank sustained damage.
In West Pasaman, about 17 km (10.6 miles) from the epicentre, a hospital was evacuated and there was panic in some areas.
