(Jakarta) A magnitude 6.1 earthquake struck around 9:59 p.m. Monday (10:59 a.m. EST) off the Sumatra Islands, Indonesia, according to the United States Institute of Geophysics (USGS).
The epicenter of the earthquake is southwest of the town of Padangsidempuan in northern Sumatra at a depth of 84 km, the USGS said, noting that no tsunami warning had been issued at this stage.
The Indonesian seismology agency has asked people living near the epicenter to be wary of possible aftershocks.
Mainstream Indonesian media reported no immediate damage.
“The earthquake was quite strong and long. It was not as usual. This time our house shook badly,” said Dody, a resident of North Tapanuli in North Sumatra who, like many Indonesians, has only one name.
Indonesia experiences frequent seismic and volcanic activity due to its position on the Pacific “Ring of Fire”, where tectonic plates collide.
On November 21, a magnitude 5.6 earthquake hit West Java Province on the main island of Java, killing 602 people.