6.4 quake hits Indonesia’s Sumatra, man dies from panic
Residents of the remote Simeuleu island near Aceh observe the sea level in their bay on April 11, 2012, after a powerful earthquake hit the western coast of Sumatra in Aceh province on April 11, 2012. A massive earthquake struck off Indonesia’s Sumatra island, US and Indonesian monitors reported, prompting an Indian Ocean-wide tsunami alert.
Earthquake-prone Indonesia suffered a 6.4 quake early today, killing a terrified 70-year-old man off the archipelago's Sumatra coast, reported The Telegraph.
The tremors may have triggered memories of the island nation's deadly 2004 quake and tsunami that took the lives of 230,000 people.
The elderly victim, who was diagnosed with high blood pressure, "died of shock" as he tried to flee the area, National Disaster Management Agency's Sutopo Purwo Nugroh said, according to PAN Armenian.
No need to worry, though. Nugroho said there were no further reports of casualties, no significant damage, and almost no chance it would lead to a tsunami, reported Reuters.
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The tiny island of Simeulue, home to some 80,000 people and situated just off Sumatra's northwest coast, felt the tremors as they were gathering for pre-dawn prayers and food after fasting as part of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, said The Telegraph.
The island nation sits above the Pacific Ocean's "Ring of Fire," an area where major coastal plates frequently collide in seismic activity.
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