Indonesian Earthquake Kills 70
The Indonesian island of Sumatra was slammed by a 6.3 magnitude earthquake on Tuesday, followed shortly by a 6.0 aftershock. The event was felt in Malaysia and Singapore, hundreds of miles away. Authorities were scrambling to cope with downed communication lines, overwhelmed hospitals and shattered buildings. A government official put the death toll at 70 so far.The Indonesian island of Sumatra was slammed by a 6.3 magnitude earthquake on Tuesday, followed shortly by a 6.0 aftershock. The event was felt in Malaysia and Singapore, hundreds of miles away. Authorities were scrambling to cope with downed communication lines, overwhelmed hospitals and shattered buildings. A government official put the death toll at 70 so far.
The quake was a terrifying reminder for Indonesians of the 2004 tsunami that killed more than 230,000 people — 130,000 in Sumatra alone.
TRUTHDIG’S JOURNALISM REMAINS CLEARBBC:
The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake had a magnitude of 6.3, and was centered near the town of Padang.
There are fears the death toll may be higher as communications with remote regions have been cut.
The quake struck at 10:49 [a.m.] local time (0349 GMT), causing panic among residents in western Sumatra.
A strong aftershock — magnitude 6.0 according to the U.S. Geological Survey — struck two hours later, causing further damage and panic.
The storytellers of chaos tried to manipulate the political and media narrative in 2025, but independent journalism exposed what they tried to hide. When you read Truthdig, you see through the illusion.
Support Independent Journalism.
Books
In the shadow of Fukushima’s failed nuclear reactors, an unlikely group of farmers and expatriates work to rebuild a community.
Environment
The forever dangers of small modular reactors.
Middle East
The earthquake has devastated Antakya's minority communities.
Opinion
Otherwise, there is a real chance that the earthquake will help rehabilitate Assad within the international community.
Middle East
Many countries are already disregarding U.S. strictures against dealing with the Damascus government.
Editorial Cartoons
You need to be a supporter to comment.
There are currently no responses to this article.
Be the first to respond.