Strong earthquake triggers panic in western Indonesia

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
A strong earthquake jolted western Indonesia early Sunday, sending panicked residents fleeing from their homes, officials and witnesses said. The power of the tremor shook telephone and electricity poles and forced the evacuation of at least one hospital. The 6.1-magnitude quake was centered 175 kilometers from Bengkulu, a coastal town on Sumatra island that has been hit by a series of tremors in recent months, the US Geological Survey said. It had a depth of just 10 kilometers beneath the ocean floor, the agency said, but did not trigger a tsunami and there were no immediate reports of injuries.