A 7.3-magnitude earthquake destroyed a hospital and sent people running to higher ground in Indonesia

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A powerful 7.1-magnitude undersea earthquake struck Indonesia on Tuesday, sending people fleeing to higher ground.

Minor tsunamis of 11 cm were also detected in the coastal area of ​​Tanah Bala in the South Nias region. But the tsunami warning was lifted just before dawn, two hours after the undersea earthquake struck.

Footage from the western parts of the quake-prone island nation released by the National Disaster Mitigation Agency showed panic as people began fleeing the village on Mentawai Island on foot and on two wheels in the dark and rain.

Some patients in the village hospital have also been evacuated to its courtyard after visible cracks appeared on the floor of the facility.

Residents of Padang, a city on the west coast of Sumatra, told Reuters they panicked as tsunami sirens sounded and forced them to evacuate to higher ground in the middle of the night.

“We only ran because we heard there was a tsunami. I just brought my family, we didn’t bring anything else,” said Hendra, a resident of Padang who goes by the name of one, while in the evacuation zone.

Some areas of the Mentawai Islands, which were closest to the epicenter, also reported power outages.

According to local media reports, the earthquake was felt in neighborhoods and cities in the provinces of West Sumatra and North Sumatra. Evacuations were ordered to higher ground in several areas.

“Many residents in several villages on Mentawai Island have chosen to remain displaced in higher ground despite the end of the tsunami warning due to fears of aftershocks,” said Abdul Mahari, a spokesman for the agency.

The epicenter was 170 km southeast of Tuluk Dalam, a coastal town in South Nias district in North Sumatra, at a depth of 15 km.

Residents gradually began to return to their homes on Tuesday. However, the National Disaster Mitigation Agency advised them to remain vigilant and ensure that exits to their homes are unobstructed in case they need to evacuate again.

While no casualties have been reported so far, officials have warned that aftershocks may continue.

“Especially for people living in coastal areas, if an earthquake occurs that lasts more than 30 seconds, please immediately go to a higher place to anticipate the possibility of a tsunami,” the agency said in a statement.

Indonesia, a country on the Pacific Ring of Fire, is frequently hit by earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and tsunamis.

Last November, a 5.6-magnitude earthquake killed at least 340 people and destroyed more than 62,600 homes in a part of West Java.

In 2018, a series of powerful earthquakes hit the island of Lombok, killing more than 500 people and displacing tens of thousands. In 2019, a devastating tsunami hit the Sunda Strait, killing more than 400 people and injuring thousands more.

Additional reporting by agencies

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