6.5-Magnitude Quake Strikes Off Indonesia’s Sumatra Island, No Tsunami Warning 

SINGAPORE: An earthquake of magnitude 6.5 struck west of Indonesia's island of Sumatra on Sunday (Aug 13), the United States Geological Survey (USGS) said.

There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage in the quake, which hit at a depth of 67km, at a distance of 81km west of the city of Bengkulu.

"The earthquake was quite strong and shallow, it was felt all the way to Padang, West Sumatra, but there was no threat of a tsunami," Mochammad Riyadi, an official at Indonesia's meteorology and geophysics agency told AFP.

He said officials were checking if there were any casualties or damage.

Bengkulu resident Neng Hasnah said the quake felt very strong for a few seconds, forcing her and her family members to flee her house.

"I was carrying my seven-month old granddaughter and I had to run, all the neighbours also ran outside their homes," Hasnah told AFP.

Tremors Felt In Singapore

Channel NewsAsia received calls from residents in Singapore living in Toa Payoh and Farrer Road saying they felt tremors.

"Tremors felt in Lor 1 Toa Payoh at around 11.10am," said Andrew Tan after contacting Channel NewsAsia via WhatsApp.

Twitter user Pieter Idenburg‏ posted a video of the tremors:

Earthquake in #Singapore

Some took to twitter wondering if the tremors were a result of an earthquake in the region.

Indonesia sits on the Pacific "Ring of Fire" where tectonic plates collide, causing frequent seismic and volcanic activity.

An earthquake struck Indonesia's western Aceh province in December 2016, killing more than 100 people, injuring many more and leaving tens of thousands homeless.

Source: Reuters