A 6.1 magnitude earthquake struck the Indonesian island of Sumatra on Tuesday. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the quake occurred in the Aceh reagion at the northern end of the island, around 34 miles from the city of Bireun. The quake occurred at an estimated depth of 6.2 miles and was followed by two aftershock quakes later this morning, one measuring 5.3 magnitude and the other measuring 5.2 magnitude.
Though the earthquake occurred inland in a mountainous region, deaths and injuries have been reported in the area. According to an Australia Network News report, at least 11 people have died as a result of the quake, with dozens of others injured. The quake triggered landslides in the region, destroying property and burying at least one man working at a coffee plantation. Six children died when a mosque collapsed, with 14 other children still trapped inside. Four other people in area hospitals reportedly died as the result of injuries sustained during the quake.
The Aceh region was devastated in 2004, when a 9.1 magnitude earthquake that struck just off the Indonesian coast caused a tsunami that killed over 200,000 people in countries bordering the Indian Ocean. No tsunami warnings have been issued as a result of this most recent earthquake. Sumatra also endured a massive 8.6 magnitude earthquake in April 2012.
(via Australia Network News)