Indonesia Shaken By 5.3-Magnitude Earthquake Near Sabang

Sabang: An earthquake with a magnitude of 5.3 struck 29 km west-northwest of Indonesia's Sabang at around 7.42 pm local time. The earthquake triggered a sense of fear among the people in Indonesia, recalling the deadly earthquake a few months ago. The German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ) reported the earthquake's depth as 10 km.

According to reports, the earthquake's epicentre was located at a depth of 10 km, which is considered relatively shallow. According to the GFZ, the earthquake's impact was felt in the surrounding areas, but no tsunami warning has been issued.

The earthquake's magnitude was major enough to cause concern, but it did not trigger a tsunami, the concerned officials said. The earthquakes with magnitudes between 5.0 and 6.0 can cause light damage to buildings and other structures. Indonesia is prone to earthquakes due to its location.

Indonesia's Earthquake History

Indonesia has experienced numerous devastating earthquakes in the past. Indonesia is prone to earthquakes due to its location on the Pacific Ring of Fire, where several tectonic plates meet. The country is located on the Sunda Plate, which is part of the Eurasian Plate. However, its western and southern edges run close to the island arc, where the Indo-Australian Plate pushes under the Sunda Plate from the southwest, creating immense stress and friction.

In recent years, Indonesia has seen several major earthquakes. On September 28, a magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck Palu, causing massive destruction. In a recent seismic incident, on June 28 this year, a magnitude 5.3 earthquake hit North Maluku's Tobelo.

As per experts, Indonesia experiences a high frequency of earthquakes, with an average of 2043 earthquakes per year, or one earthquake every 4 hours. The country has seen 20439 earthquakes with a magnitude of four or higher in the past 10 years.

Further details regarding the earthquake are awaited.