Indonesia was struck by a 6.4 magnitude earthquake in Northern Sumatra, following a devastating 7.7 magnitude quake earlier that day. The country is highly prone to seismic events due to its location on the Pacific Ring of Fire and the convergence of major tectonic plates, leading to frequent earthquakes and volcanic activity.

Indonesia was struck by a 6.4 magnitude earthquake in Northern Sumatra, following a devastating 7.7 magnitude quake earlier that day. The country is highly prone to seismic events due to its location on the Pacific Ring of Fire and the convergence of major tectonic plates, leading to frequent earthquakes and volcanic activity.

Indonesia was struck by a 6.4 magnitude earthquake in Northern Sumatra, following a devastating 7.7 magnitude quake earlier that day. The country is highly prone to seismic events due to its location on the Pacific Ring of Fire and the convergence of major tectonic plates, leading to frequent earthquakes and volcanic activity.

An earthquake of magnitude 6.4 jolted Northern Sumatra, Indonesia on Saturday, hours after a 7.7 magnitude quake rattled the Southeast Asian nation, according to the country's meteorology agency, BMKG.

Though BMKG recorded the magnitude as 6.4, the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ) later revised the magnitude of the second quake to 6.8.

The latest quake occurred at a depth of 168 km, around 11 km southeast of Simalungun, according to BKMG. The tremor recorded at 4.24 pm was impacted residents in Tebing Tinggi, Kabanjahe and Limapuluh, the agency stated.

The earlier quake, which was of 7.7 magnitude, struck eastern Indonesia early on Saturday morning, killing at least 40 people and injuring 11 at the time of publishing this article.

Dozens of aftershocks were also reported throughout the day. Tsunami waves of less than 1 metre were recorded in several areas near the epicentre.

Nearly 2,000 residents in Nagekeo evacuated while a number of houses, warehouses and government facilities were destroyed, according to BNPB, the national disaster management agency.

Telecommunication disruption, power outages and landslides were also reported in various parts of the nation.

Why is Indonesia prone to earthquakes?

Indonesia sits on the meeting point of three major tectonic plates: the Indo-Australian, Eurasian and Pacific. It also lies along the Pacific Ring of Fire, which is among the most seismically active regions in the world. The convergence of tectonic plates results in them pushing against each other constantly, with plates often sliding under another. This results in earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.

Colombia, which sits at a major tectonic intersection of Nazca, South American and Caribbean plates, was rattled by a 7.4 magnitude quake on August 10, killing at least 288 people. It is located on the eastern edge.

Two months ago, twin quakes of 7.2 and 7.5 magnitudes devastated Colombia's neighbouring Venezuela, where over 6,300 people were killed.

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