6.5 Magnitude Aftershock Hits Indonesia

JAKARTA, Indonesia: -- A 6.5-magnitude aftershock to last weekend's killer earthquake hit off the coast of Sumatra on Saturday, sending frightened residents running into the streets. No injuries were reported.

The U.S. Geological Survey said the 6.5 aftershock hit early Saturday morning and was centered 215 miles west of Banda Aceh, the hard-hit provincial capital in northern Sumatra.

Aftershocks in the 4- and 5- magnitude range were also recorded, officials said.

The 6.5 jolt was an aftershock to last weekend's 9.0-magnitude temblor that spawned the devastating tsunamis that hit 11 countries and killed more than 123,000 people.

"Unfortunately, large aftershocks are common after an earthquake of this size," said Kathleen Gohn, a spokeswoman for the Golden, Colo.-based USGS.

She said the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration issued an information bulletin saying that aftershocks of that magnitude generally do not produce tsunamis.

Northwestern Sumatra was the hardest hit area in Sunday's earthquake and tsunami disaster, with about 80,000 people there killed.

--AP 2005-01-01

More earthquakes, but seismologists deny any danger

CHIANG MAI: -- Seismologists working in Thailand's northern city of Chiang Mai confirmed that two minor earthquakes had occurred in parts of Southeast Asia this afternoon, but stressed that they did not pose a danger to Thailand.

Mr. Adisorn Fungkrachon, head of Chiang Mai's Earthquake Monitoring Centre, said that an earthquake measuring 6.5 on the Richter Scale had occurred near the Indonesian island of Sumatra at 13.25hrs, while a second tremor measuring 5.4 on the Richter Scale had occurred at 13.34 near the Nicobar Islands in the Indian Ocean.

However, he said that members of the Thai public should not be worried, stressing that the earthquakes posed no danger to Thailand's southern region, which was hit by massive tsunamis on 26 December, resulting from an earthquake measuring 9.0 on the Richter Scale off the coast of Sumatra Island.

Mr. Adisorn said that this afternoon's earthquakes had occurred because the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates remained volatile.

While confirming that further earthquakes were likely, he said that its was impossible to predict exactly where on the fault line they would occur.

--TNA 2005-01-01

George! Can you recalled that one of the Thailand minister did give tsunami warning few years ago and he was banned from going to Phuket because government says that with his report might scare tourist away.

Does anyone recalled this incident?