JAKARTA, Sept. 30 (Xinhua) -- Several people could be dead after a 7.6 magnitude quake hit West Sumatra of Indonesia on Wednesday, with one dead body discovered under the debris of a building, a local television footage showed.
Tens of buildings and a bridge have collapsed, telecommunication was cut, and roads were damaged.
The Meteorology and Geophysics Agency said there was no tsunami warning.
The quake struck at 17:16 p.m. Jakarta time (1216 GMT) with the epicenter at 57 km southwest Pariaman of the province and at 71 km under seabed, an official of the agency Rahmat Triono said.
"It is reported that scores of buildings and hotels have collapsed in Padang city," he told Xinhua. In Padang, the capital of West Sumatra, the intensity of the quake was felt the hardest, with 6 to 7 MMI (Modified Mercalli Intensity), the official said.
The quake was felt up to Singapore and Malaysia, a report reaching here said.
Triono said that in Indonesia, the quake was felt at Jakarta, and some provinces in Sumatra Island such as Bengkulu and North Sumatra provinces, cause panic among residents.
A 6.2 magnitude aftershock occurred 12 minutes after the main shock, he said.
The intensity of the aftershock was felt at 3 to 4 at Bukit Tinggi town of West Sumatra province, 2 MMI in Jakarta, 4 MMI in Sibolga town, 3 to 4 at Tapanuli Selatan, 4 MMI at Gunungsitoli of North Sumatra province, 3 to 4 MMI at Liwa town of Lampung province, said Triono.
"We did not issue a warning for tsunami as the quake was not potential for it," he said.
A footage of Metro television showed scared people rushed outside their houses.
People still gathered and stayed outside buildings and mall shopping centers.
Eyewitnesses said that a school building, some houses and a government office building collapsed.
The quake also cut telecommunication facility in West Sumatra province, Secretary General of the Indonesian Red Cross Iyan Sukandar told Xinhua over phone.
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WELLINGTON, Sept. 30 (Xinhua) -- A strong earthquake measuring 8.0 on the Richter scale struck the Pacific island nation of Samoa on early Wednesday, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) said.
The quake, occurred at 6:48 a.m. local time (17:48 GMT Tuesday), was centered 195 km south of the Samoa capital of Apia. It was at a depth of 18 km. Full story
