A fierce 6.3 magnitude earthquake struck Indonesia on Thursday evening, with terrified residents reporting building shaking amid the chaos.
The earthquake took place 38km south-south west of Bengkulu, Indonesia at 7.52pm local time, with a depth of 10km, GFZ reports.
One person said on X/Twitter: “By God, there was an earthquake in Bengkulu and my hotel was shaking, the wardrobe was shaking and about to collapse. God, I was so shocked.” It comes after a 6.3 magnitude quake rocked Crete early on Thursday morning.
Follow our liveblog of the earthquake in Indonesia below…
Experts note that Indonesia, located along the Pacific Ring of Fire where tectonic plates converge, is highly susceptible to seismic activity.
The volatile region experience frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, with more than 9,200 earthquakes hitting the country on average each year.
This evening’s earthquake has been felt in at least five different towns across Indonesia.
These include Bengkulu, Liwa, Lubuklinggau, Kepahiang and Mukomuko.
Those near the epicentre of the earthquake have been told to watch out for possible aftershocks.
Indonesia’s national weather agency, BMKG, says the epicenter of the earthquake was in the sea 43 km southwest of Bengkulu.
Moderate to strong shaking expected near the earthquake’s epicenter while lighter shaking may be felt in Bengkulu, according to earthquake monitoring website Seism AI.
It adds: “Residents near the epicenter should stay alert for aftershocks. Bengkulu residents should remain informed through local authorities.”
The earthquake struck 38km southwest of Bengkulu, Indonesia, at 19:52 local time this evening.
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