Indonesia Earthquake: 5.1 Magnitude Tremors Rock Northern Sumatra And Phuket, No Tsunami Risk

Thailand: A moderate earthquake of 5.1 magnitude in northern Sumatra was felt across Thailand’s southern tourist island of Phuket on Wednesday morning, triggering brief alarm among residents in tall buildings but causing no reported damage. According to reports, the tremor, recorded at a magnitude of 5.1, struck late in the morning and was centred in Indonesia’s Aceh region. However, despite the distance, occupants of high-rise properties on the island confirmed that they could feel the ground move.

The Thai officials reassured the public, with Phuket Governor Chotnarin Kerdsom confirming that there was no tsunami threat. The local disaster teams stated that they would continue to monitor the situation until safety could be fully assured.

According to the Earthquake Observation Division (EOD) of the Thai Meteorological Department (TMD), the earthquake was detected at 11.18 am at a depth of 9 km. The epicentre lay reportedly 36 km northeast of Gayo Lues, a regency within the Aceh Special Region on Sumatra.

The division calculated the epicentre to be 328 km from Muang district in Satun province and 432km from Phuket. “People in high buildings could feel the tremors, but there was no damage reported. Our office will monitor closely until we are assured of safety,” said Warat Surawadee, head of the local Disaster Prevention and Mitigation office.

The administration carried out an immediate assessment with 19 tsunami warning towers operating across the province. The Phuket Governor stated that their review confirmed there was no risk of a dangerous wave reaching Thai shores.

Indonesian news agency Antara stated that the strongest shaking was felt in Gayo Lues, where glassware was shattered, and large objects swayed.

The Indonesian Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency recorded seismic activity before and after the main event. As per reports, by 11.30 am it had logged one foreshock measuring 3.8 magnitude and two aftershocks, with the largest reaching magnitude 4.3, Antara reported.

The government in both countries stated that they would remain on alert through the day, but for Phuket’s residents and tourists the incident ended without injury or structural impact.