Moderate earthquake strikes western coast of Sumatra

The epicentre of the quake, which hit at 3:48 pm (0848 GMT), was located about 67 kilometres south-east of Bengkulu, the capital of Bengkulu province, at a depth of 31 kilometres, said Budiwaluyo, an official at Indonesia's National Meteorology and Geophysics Agency.

 Budiwaluyo, who like many Indonesians uses only one name, said that although the quake was strongly felt by residents of a number of towns in the province, there were no reports of casualties or structural damage.

 A resident told the Jakarta-based Elshinta private radio station that the quake triggered panic among residents in Bengkulu and nearby areas, including Kepahiyang district town.

 A magnitude-8.4 quake hit western Sumatra in September, killing at least 24 people and injuring scores of others. It was followed by a series of strong aftershocks and prompted several tsunami warnings.

 The 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, which killed an estimated 250,000 people, was triggered by a magnitude-9 quake that also struck off western Sumatra. About 177,000 people died in Indonesia's Aceh province alone.

 Indonesia is located along the Pacific volcanic belt known as the "Ring of Fire," where earthquakes and volcanoes are common.//dpa