Magnitude 6.3 earthquake strikes southern Sumatra, Indonesia

A preliminary magnitude 6.3 earthquake has struck southern Sumatra in Indonesia, according to seismologists.

The earthquake occurred at 2:52 a.m. local time on Friday and was centered near the coast of southern Sumatra, according to preliminary data from Indonesia’s Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysical Agency (BMKG). It struck at a depth of 24 kilometers (15 miles).

The epicenter was located approximately 42 kilometers (26 miles) from Bengkulu and about 312 kilometers (194 miles) from Palembang.

Moderate shaking may have been felt near the epicenter, including in Bengkulu, a coastal city with a population of more than 300,000 people.

“It was so loud, it woke me up,” read one user-submitted report to BMKG. Other reports similarly described being woken by the strong shaking.

Indonesia is part of the commonly denominated Pacific Ring of Fire, a seismically active region that encircles much of the Pacific Ocean. While the Ring of Fire is known for frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, it is not a single, unified system. The seismic events that occur along its various segments are typically caused by local tectonic processes and are not directly connected, even if they occur close in time.

In 2004, a massive undersea earthquake off the coast of northern Sumatra triggered one of the deadliest tsunamis in recorded history. The magnitude 9.1 quake struck on December 26 and generated waves as high as 30 meters (100 feet), devastating coastal communities across the Indian Ocean. More than 230,000 people were killed in 14 countries, with Indonesia suffering the highest number of casualties.