Quake Forces Padang Residents Away

Padang, W Sumatra (Antara Bali) - A 5.6-magnitude undersea earthquake rocked the West Sumatra provincial capital of Padang on Thursday at 05.12 a.m. local time, forcing residents to rush outdoors.

"When I was to go to bed a moment after I had returned home from a wedding party  I suddenly felt a strong jolt. Realizing that it was a quake I hurried to stay outdoors,"  said Buyung, a resident of Alang Laweh area in South Padang sub-district.  
   
The 40-year-old man said he felt the quake for a few seconds. Another resident Joko said the quake woke him up.    
   
"When the quake occurred I was still in bed. As I felt a strong jolt I hurried to wake up and stay outdoors for fear that a stronger quake would happen," he said.

According to the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG), the epicenter of the quake was in the sea 68 km southwest of Padang or 897 km northwest of Jakarta at a depth of 10 km.

The temblor did not have the potential to trigger a tsunami, it said. A 7.9-magnitude earthquake rocked West Sumatra province on Sept. 30, 2009, killing more than 1,000 and damaging more than 13,000 homes. (*/DWA/T007)