![[locator map]](http://s.wsj.net/public/resources/images/OB-EO374_Padang_D_20090930111404.gif)
Posted on 09/30/2009 6:57:45 PM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach
JAKARTA, Indonesia -- A powerful earthquake struck off the coast of Indonesia's Sumatra island Wednesday afternoon, killing at least 100 people and trapping thousands of people beneath flattened buildings. A complete death toll wasn't possible in the immediate aftermath but Indonesian officials indicated the toll could rise significantly.
The earthquake had a magnitude of 7.6, according to the U.S. Geological Survey, and hit offshore 30 miles from Padang, a city of about 750,000 on Sumatra's western coast. The quake was felt as far as Bangkok, about 1,000 miles away.
Vice President Jusuf Kalla, citing information from Padang's mayor, said thousands of people were likely trapped in the rubble. He said Wednesday evening that 75 people had been declared dead in hospitals in Padang. A national disaster agency official later said there were between 100 and 200 people dead and some 5,000 houses destroyed.
Many more people were suspected to have died in Pariaman, a rural town of about 80,000 people that was closest to the epicenter, north of Padang. Officials received reports of buildings destroyed in Pariaman, and road access to the town had been cut off by landslides triggered by the earthquake.
Most of the inhabitants of Pariaman make their living from agriculture or fishing. Like Padang, it is hemmed in by volcanic mountains on one side and the sea on the other. Mr. Kalla said the government will send four aircraft Thursday with 100 doctors, tents and medical supplies. Heavy rains and electricity blackouts in the area made it impossible to immediately send aid, he said.
(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...
This is very close to the site of the Krakatoa volcano. There is a new volcano there now (Anak Krakatau) which is 1000 feet high. Time to move out I’d say.
750,000 people within 30 miles of a huge eartquake....they may not have anything left....
The volcano Krakatau has been under an orange alert since May, any chance these quakes are related to the volcano?
Click on page 2 of previous image page...scroll down and then look on the left....for pg 2 ...click there....for a nice picture of the Island the Volcano is building.
I would suspect they are both related to the motion of the plate that is subducting in the area....it’s all part of the Pacific rim of fire....
An interesting program a couple of months ago on Discovery about that particular volcano... it is growing very rapidly as it did before the big bang in 1883 and they said it had grown and errupted several other times in the distant past, that it literally levels itself and regrows, but the interesting thing was how they believe it affects world weather patterns when it reaches it’s current height...
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Geographical setting
Indonesia has over 130 active volcanoes, the most of any nation. They make up the axis of the Indonesian island arc system, which was produced by northeastward subduction of the Indo-Australian Plate. A majority of these volcanoes lie along Indonesia's two largest islands, Java and Sumatra. These two islands are separated by the Sunda Straits, which are located at a bend in the axis of the island arc. Krakatoa is directly above the subduction zone of the Eurasian Plate and the Indo-Australian Plate where the plate boundaries make a sharp change of direction, possibly resulting in an unusually weak crust in the region.
So...you have a choice. Live with Anak Krakata in the Eastern hemisphere....or live with Yellowstone getting ready to go in the Western hemisphere. Decisions, decisions.
Anak Krakata:
Great picture. That area certainly has been rumbling quite a bit recently.
I’ve just come back from a week spent on the beach at Anyer on the west Java coast, just by the lighthouse that replaced the old Dutch one blown away in the original explosion. I have to be honest I had no idea Anak Krakatau was even active, the weather was a bit hazy so that may be why I couldn’t see anything but when I was there in Christmas 2007 the volcano was blowing off regularly every hour or so.
You left just in time.
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