1 injured, dozens of houses damaged as quake hits Indonesia

JAKARTA, July 14 (Xinhua) -- A 5.5-magnitude earthquake jolted North Sumatra province of western Indonesia on Friday, leaving one person wounded and dozens of houses damaged, a government official said.

The quake epicenter was located in 9 km southwest Padang Sidempuan town of the province with a depth of 10 km, spokesman of national disaster management agency Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said.

The temblor triggered panic in the area, he told Xinhua in a text message.

Indonesia is prone to quake as it lies on a vulnerable quake-hit zone called "the Pacific Ring of Fire."