"The quake`s tremors surprised Tarutung residents, particularly victims of the previous earthquake who were still staying at emergency tents," Head of Tarutung Natural Disaster Mitigating Agency, Tumbur Hutarat said here on Saturday.
He said that the earthquake which occurred a depth of about 10 km caused landslides on road sections near Pahae Jae subdistrict.
He said that traffic jams were however could be overcome as rescuers were still on guards during the previous earthquake which struck the area at a magnitude of 5.5 on Richter scale.
A magnitude-5.5 earthquake shook Tarutung, North Tapanuli regency, North Sumatra province on Tuesday twice at 7.08 am and 10.01 am.
Data and information affairs official at the Medan Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BBMKG) Albertus Simanullang said the first tremor struck 1.79 degrees northern latitude and 99.13 degrees eastern longitude.
The 7.08 am tremor struck 30 kilometers southeast of Tarutung at a depth of 10 kilometers under the service of the earth, while the second one 1.83 degrees northern latitude and 99.07 degrees eastern longitude, 22 kilometers southeast of Tarutung at a depth of 10 kilometers.
Both the quakes did not trigger a tsunami, apparently as they struck on land, he said.
At least 376 houses were seriously or lightly damaged after two earthquakes each measuring 5.5 on the Richter scale jolted Tarutung, North Sumatra Province, on Tuesday.(*)
Editor: Aditia Maruli Radja
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