SITE SURVEY OF SEPTEMBER 30,2009 WEST SUMATERA EARTHQUAKE

On September 30, 2009, at 5:16 PM local time, a 7.6 followed by a 6.2 magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of West Sumatra Province in Indonesia, damaging houses, bringing down bridges and starting fires, a witness said. It was unclear if there were any casualties.The earthquake occurred at 0.84 south latitude location and 99.65 East Longitude. The epicenter was in the 57 kilometers southwest of Pariaman, West Sumatra. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre cancelled an earlier tsunami warning. Japan said no tsunami was expected there.

The 7.6 magnitude quake was felt around the region, with some high-rise buildings in the city state of Singapore, 275 miles (440 km) to the northeast, evacuating their staff. Office buildings also shook in the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur. The latest damage report say that earthquake killed at least 809 people.

The investigative itinerary focused on areas with local reports of damage, including the cities of Padang and Pariaman.


To be continued...