TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - A quake measuring 5.9 in Richter scale hit Nias Island in North Sumatra yesterday.
The quake happened at 4.39 p.m. Western Indonesia Time and the epicenter of the quake was located 91-kilometer away from the north west of North Nias Regency, at a depth of 10 kilometers.
"We could really feel the quake," said Marlius, a resident of Gunung Sitoli city.
Marlius was located 20-kilometer away from the epicenter.
However, although he felt the quake, no damages and casualties were reported in his neighborhood.
In the meantime, Head of Center of Information Data and Public Relations of the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB), Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, said the people felt the tremor for five seconds.
"People in Northern Nias felt the tremor for five seconds. Some people quickly got out of their house," Sutopo said, adding that the quake did not cause the Tsunami.
The North Nias Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD Nias Utara) was still monitoring the area, said Sutopo.
SOETANA HASIBUAN