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Strong Indonesia quake kills 32, damages 1,300 homes
(Agencies)
Updated: 2009-09-02 22:42

Strong Indonesia quake kills 32, damages 1,300 homes
A mosque damaged by a powerful earthquake at Cisaat village, West Java September 2, 2009. [Agencies]Strong Indonesia quake kills 32, damages 1,300 homes

Tsunami Warning Withdrawn

Indonesia's 17,000 islands are scattered along a belt of volcanic and seismic activity known as the Pacific "ring of fire", and the area is one of the most quake-prone places on the planet.

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More than 170,000 Indonesians were killed or listed missing after a 9.15 magnitude earthquake off Indonesia's Aceh province on Sumatra triggered a tsunami. A total of 230,000 people died in affected Indian Ocean countries. Local tsunami warnings were issued for coastal areas within several hundred kilometres of the epicentre soon after it struck, but were withdrawn about half an hour later.

Indonesia's seismology agency put the magnitude at 7.3 with the epicentre 142 km (88 miles) southwest of Tasikmalaya. The Hawaii-based Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said there was no threat of a widespread tsunami.

Residents in Jakarta reported buildings shaking, and thousands of people streamed onto the streets of the capital from office and apartment blocks.

"The chandelier started moving and it started shaking really strong," said Jakarta resident Victor Chan, who lives in a 34th floor apartment. "It lasted quite long. I was really scared and rushed downstairs."

"Everything was shaking and my neighbour shouted 'quake, quake'," said Nur Syara, from the 31st floor of the same building. "You could hear the walls creaking. I lay down on the floor. I was scared things would collapse."

A witness in Tasikmalaya said several houses collapsed, including the mayor's office, and a mosque was damaged. Other buildings were damaged in Bandung, West Java, a major city that is home to several universities.

"We were all studying and the building we were in started shaking for a few minutes and the ceiling fell," said a man identifying himself as Evan.