Magnitude 6.2 earthquake kills 7 on Indonesia’s Sumatra

By RAHMA NURJANA
Associated Press

PASAMAN, Indonesia (AP) — A strong and shallow earthquake has shaken Indonesia’s Sumatra island, killing seven people and injuring 85, while causing panic on the island and in neighboring Malaysia and Singapore. The U.S. Geological Survey says the magnitude 6.2 earthquake was centered in West Sumatra province. A video on social media shows residents gathering in the streets in neighboring Malaysia’s capital after high-rise buildings swayed for a few seconds. Indonesia’s Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysical Agency says the land-based earthquake didn’t trigger a tsunami but that aftershocks are possible. Indonesia is prone to earthquakes and volcanic eruptions because of its location on the “Ring of Fire,” an arc of volcanoes and fault lines in the Pacific Ocean.