A STRONG quake struck off the west coast of Indonesia’s Sumatra island early today, sending residents fleeing from their homes, but no damage or victims were immediately reported.

The shallow 6.7-magnitude earthquake hit at 4.06am at a depth of 21km, with its epicentre 167km west of the coastal city of Pariaman, the United States Geological Survey said.

The epicentre was 197km from Padang, the capital and largest city in West Sumatra province.

“The earthquake was felt for one minute at moderate intensity as people got panic and fled their homes,” said the National Disaster Mitigation Agency in an initial report.

The tremor was followed by a series of strong aftershocks, according to the Indonesian geophysics agency.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre initially said that the earthquake could potentially generate a tsunami affecting the Indian Ocean region, but it soon lifted the warning.

“Based on the latest report, there is no damage and victims, but we continue monitoring. The jolt was strongly felt in the South Nias island,” Agus Wibisono, Nias’ Search and Rescue office head said.

After the tsunami threat was lifted “the people calmed down,” he added.

Indonesia sits on the Pacific “Ring of Fire”, causing it to experience frequent earthquakes. – AFP, March 14, 2022.