MAGNITUDE-5.2 EARTHQUAKE STRIKES W SUMATRA

Bengkulu, Sept 18 (ANTARA) - West Sumatra was hit by an earthquake measuring 5.2 on the Richter Scale on Friday at 08.05 local time, the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) said.

The temblor which was felt in places as far as MukoMuko, Bengkulu province, had its epicenter at 1.48 southern longitude and 99.48 eastern latitude.

According to BMKG data, the earthquake's epicenter was also 72 kilometers southeast of Siberut island, Mentawai, West Sumatra, at a depth of 10 kilometers below sea level.

One day earlier (Sept 17), at 00.33 a.m local time, an earthquake on the the same scale rocked West Sumatra. The temblor had its epicenter at 1.55 southern latitude and 99,41 eastern longitude or about 66 kilometers southeast of Siberut island, Mentawai, West Sumatra, at a depth of 30 kilometers below sea level.

Fahmiza, an officer at Bengkulu province's BMKG, said the series of earthquakes were actually lessening the probability of a bigger earthquake that could cause a tsunami.

Earlier, on Wednesday (September 2), an earthquake measuring 5.3 on the Richter scale hit West Sumatra at 6.47 a.m local time.

The earthquake`s epicenter was located at 1.41 degrees southern latitude and 99.31 degrees eastern longitude, around 52 kilometers southeast of Siberut, Mentawai, West Sumatra, at a depth of 10 kilometers.

According to BMKG, the earthquake could also be felt by residents in Padang city and on Mentawai island.

However, the strongest earthquake in the province ever felt during the August-September 2009 period was one that happened on August 16, 2009 with a magnitude of 6.9 on the Richter scale at 1.64 degrees southern latitude and 99.12 degrees eastern latitude.

The epicenter was located 43 kilometers southeast of Siberut, Mentawai, at a depth of 32 kilometers.

The Sunday tremor could also be felt in Mentawai, Padang, Pariaman, Padang Pariaman, Agam, Pesisir Selatan, Payakumbuh and some other areas in West Sumatra as well as part of Riau Islands. The earthquake injured several people and damaged a number of houses.