Earthquake jolts western Indonesia, triggering panic

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
A strong earthquake jolted parts of western Indonesia on Friday, sending panicked residents fleeing from their homes, officials and witnesses said. There were no reports of damage as a result of the 6.1 magnitude quake that struck off the coast of Sumatra island, said Syahnan, the head of the local geophysics agency. Like many Indonesians, he goes by a single name. The quake was felt strongly for around 30 seconds by people in the provincial capital Banda Aceh, where some ran from their homes, witnesses there said.