6.0 magnitude quake hits Indonesia, triggers panic

JAKARTA, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- An earthquake with magnitude of 6.0 jolted Aceh in northern tip of Sumatra island earlier Tuesday, triggered panic, but no damage and casualty has been reported yet, officials said here.

The USGS reported that the quake was at 5.9 magnitude.

The Indonesian Meteorology and Geophysics Agency said that the quake struck at 05 : 22 a.m. Jakarta time (2222 GMT) with epicenter at 15 km southwest Banda Aceh, the provincial capital of Aceh and with the depth at 84 km under sea bed, an official of the agency told Xinhua over phone.

Twenty minutes later an aftershock measuring 5.1 Richter scale struck Aceh at 16 km southwest of the city and the depth at 12 km under sea bed, the official said. The intensity of the quake was felt at 5 MMI (Modified Mercally Intensity) at Banda Aceh city and 4 to 5 MMI in Sigli town of Aceh, the official said. "It felt strong for 2 to 5 seconds in Lhoknga, Peikenbada, Ulele and Banda Aceh, and people were panic and quickly rushed out of their houses,"Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, spokesman of the national disaster management and mitigation agency said.

Indonesia sits on a vulnerable quake-hit zone so called "the Pacific Ring of Fire."

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