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JAKARTA - Three moderate earthquakes struck Sumatra island yesterday, killing four people in one area, including a child, and triggering landslides.
The first earthquake struck at 10.10am with a magnitude of 5.8. Its epicentre was 128km under the sea southwest of the city of Banda Aceh.
The second, which had a magnitude of 5.7, came about 30 minutes later on land at a depth of 53km in an area northwest of the city of Padang.
A third quake, of 5.5 magnitude, hit at about four hours after the first, in North Sumatra.
Eddy Sofyan, a spokesman for the Administration in North Sumatra province, said the quake killed four people - a child, a teenager and two elderly men - as well as injuring several others and damaging about 20 houses in the town of Muarasipongi.
Another local official told Elshinta radio that 250 houses were destroyed in Muarasipongi, which is 1100km northwest of the capital, Jakarta.
Fearing further aftershocks, about 1000 residents fled their homes and sheltered in tents erected in open fields in the town. Officials said there was no risk of a tsunami.
- REUTERS
