This archive report was first published on 3 August 2019.
On August 2, 2019, a powerful undersea earthquake struck off the islands of Sumatra and Java in Indonesia, killing at least one person and briefly displacing more than 1,000 coastal-dwellers who feared a tsunami, according to Indonesia's disaster agency.
The earthquake, which had a magnitude of 6.8, was felt in the capital Jakarta, causing panic among residents who rushed out of high-rise buildings. The quake was also strong enough to destroy 34 houses and cause minor damage to dozens of other buildings.
One person died of a heart attack amid the panic in the province of Banten on Java, while at least four others were injured, the disaster mitigation agency said in a statement. The agency also reported that people who took to higher ground, including about 1,000 taking shelter in the gubernatorial office in the Lampung province, had returned home.
The epicenter of the quake was located in the Indian Ocean, approximately 227 km (141 miles) from the city of Teluk Betung on Sumatra, according to the U.S Geological Survey. Indonesia is situated on the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, which is frequently hit by earthquakes and sometimes accompanying tsunami.
Indonesia has experienced devastating tsunamis in recent years, including one on December 26, 2004, which killed around 226,000 people along the shorelines of the Indian Ocean, including more than 126,000 in Indonesia. Last year, a tsunami hit the city of Palu in Sulawesi island, killing thousands, while a crater collapse at the Anak Krakatau volcano triggered a tsunami that killed at least 430 people in an area near the latest quake.
