Christians Urge Prayers As Quake Hits Indonesia

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News

MEDAN, INDONESIA (Worthy News) – Christians in Indonesia asked “to pray for Asia” as an earthquake measuring 5.2 on the Richter scale rocked Indonesia’s western Aceh province on Sunday.

It came after elsewhere in Southeast Asia, a massive earthquake on Friday in Myanmar, also known as Burma, killed more than 1,600 people as well as several in neighboring Thailand, with hope of finding survivors rapidly fading.

Indonesia’s Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency had estimated the Sunday quake magnitude at 5.4 before downgrading it.

The agency reported that the tremors occurred at 09:58 a.m. local time. The epicenter was located about 16 kilometers (10 miles) northeast of Aceh province’s capital, Banda Aceh, and at a depth of 12 kilometers (7 miles) below Earth.

Authorities said the impact was felt in several areas of Aceh. “Please pray for Asia,” said a church worker in Medan, the capital of North Sumatra, which borders Aceh.

Indonesia’s Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency added that no tsunami alert had been issued as the tremors would not potentially trigger giant waves.

The church worker, who uses only her name, Victoria, said the massive quake in Myanmar and the smaller one in Indonesia did not surprise her.

WEATHER CHANGE

“I already saw a weather phenomenon that often precedes earthquakes here. We just need to pray,” added Victoria, who organizes prayer groups and house church meetings in a mainly Muslim area.

“The strength of the tremors was measured at IV Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) in Banda Aceh city and Aceh Besar Regency,” said Daryono, the head of Indonesia’s Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency.

MMI measures the impact of an earthquake on a specific location, with “MMI IV” still considered “light,” meaning it was felt indoors by many but outdoors by fewer residents.

There was also “III MMI in Takengon town, and II to III MMI in Pidie Regency, Pidie Jaya Regency, and Sabang town,” added Daryono, talking about the impact on Aceh with China’s Xinhua news agency.

Experts say Indonesia is prone to earthquakes as the archipelagic nation lies within a vulnerable quake-hit zone called the “Pacific Ring of Fire.”

Yet residents such as Victoria remained on high alert. Southeast Asia has been experiencing turbulent times, with quakes and tremors felt throughout the region since Friday.

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