15 killed in earthquakes in Afghanistan

Kabul (Xinhua): Two earthquakes hit eastern Afghanistan on Friday, killing at least 15 people and destroying dozens of houses, a government spokesperson said. 

Ahmad Zia Abdulzai said the tremors, which occurred about 90 km east of Kabul, have killed 15 people, injured 20 and destroyed about 100 houses. 

The two earthquakes, of 5.5 and 5.1 magnitude, hit eastern Afghanistan in the early hours of Friday, the US Geological Survey reported. 

One quake of 5.5 magnitude rattled the Hindu Kush border area between Afghanistan and Pakistan at 1.57 a.m. (GMT2127) at a depth of eight km and was followed by another other one of 5.1 magnitude at a depth of three km two hours later, the website said. 

People in Afghan capital Kabul felt the tremors while casualties were feared in eastern Afghan province of Nangarhar. 

The Hindu Kush range which covers northern and eastern Afghanistan are often jolted by earthquakes.

Earthquake DetailsMagnitude 5.5

Date-Time Thursday, April 16, 2009 at 21:27:51 UTC
Friday, April 17, 2009 at 01:57:51 AM at epicenter 
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location 34.201°N, 70.064°E
Depth 5.7 km (3.5 miles) (poorly constrained)
Region HINDU KUSH REGION, AFGHANISTAN
Distances 45 km (25 miles) SW of Jalalabad, Afghanistan
90 km (55 miles) ESE of KABUL, Afghanistan
140 km (85 miles) W of Peshawar, Pakistan
220 km (135 miles) WSW of Mingaora, Pakistan
Location Uncertainty horizontal +/- 6.6 km (4.1 miles); depth +/- 14.5 km (9.0 miles)
Parameters NST=117, Nph=117, Dmin=101.3 km, Rmss=1.05 sec, Gp= 32°,
M-type=body wave magnitude (Mb), Version=Q
Source USGS NEIC (WDCS-D)

Earthquake jolts Indonesia's West Sumatra at magnitude 6.4

Jakarta - An undersea earthquake registering 6.4 on the Richter scale struck the western coast of the Indonesian island of Sumatra early Thursday, but there were no immediate reports of injury or damage, the Indonesian seismologist agency said.

The quake struck at 3:01 am (2001 GMT Wednesday) and was centred in the Indian Ocean, 32 kilometres south-west of Mentawai Islands, off the western coast of Sumatra, Indonesia's National Meteorology and Geophysics Agency said in a statement.

It occurred 50 kilometres beneath the seabed, but the statement did not say if the quake caused a tsunami threat.

Indonesia, the world's largest archipelago nation, sits along the Pacific Ocean's Ring of Fire, where the meeting of continental plates causes high volcanic and seismic activity.

Earthquake DetailsMagnitude 6.1

Date-Time Wednesday, April 15, 2009 at 20:01:33 UTC

Thursday, April 16, 2009 at 03:01:33 AM at epicenter 
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location 3.091°S, 100.496°E
Depth 8.5 km (5.3 miles) (poorly constrained)
Region KEPULAUAN MENTAWAI REGION, INDONESIA
Distances 210 km (130 miles) WNW of Bengkulu, Sumatra, Indonesia
235 km (145 miles) S of Padang, Sumatra, Indonesia
385 km (240 miles) WSW of Jambi, Sumatra, Indonesia
770 km (480 miles) WNW of JAKARTA, Java, Indonesia
Location Uncertainty horizontal +/- 7.7 km (4.8 miles); depth +/- 25.9 km (16.1 miles)
Parameters NST=191, Nph=191, Dmin=849.9 km, Rmss=1.13 sec, Gp= 29°,
M-type=teleseismic moment magnitude (Mw), Version=8
Source USGS NEIC (WDCS-D)

Italy Shaken by Aftershocks

By Ryan Flinn and Andrew Davis

April 14 (Bloomberg) -- Central Italy was shaken by a magnitude-5 temblor, a week after an earthquake killed hundreds, as the government sought to raise funds to aid victims and rebuild the province of L’Aquila.

The aftershock hit yesterday at 11:14 p.m. local time, 110 kilometers (65 miles) northeast of Rome, the U.S. Geological Survey said on its Web site. The temblor was 5 kilometers deep and could be felt as far away as Rome.

The region has been hit by numerous aftershocks following the 6.3-magnitude quake on April 6 that killed 294 and left more than 40,000 homeless. Low temperatures and rain moved in on April 12, making life even more uncomfortable for the 25,050 housed in tent cities. 

Earthquake Details

Magnitude 5.0
Date-Time 

  * Monday, April 13, 2009 at 21:14:26 UTC
  * Monday, April 13, 2009 at 11:14:26 PM at epicenter
  * Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones

Location 42.588°N, 13.397°E
Depth 5 km (3.1 miles) set by location program
Region CENTRAL ITALY
Distances 70 km (45 miles) WNW of Pescara, Italy
100 km (65 miles) SE of Perugia, Italy
110 km (65 miles) NE of ROME, Italy
115 km (70 miles) S of Ancona, Italy
Location Uncertainty horizontal +/- 5.5 km (3.4 miles); depth fixed by location program
Parameters NST= 56, Nph= 56, Dmin=26.1 km, Rmss=0.93 sec, Gp= 58°,
M-type=body wave magnitude (Mb), Version=7
Source 

  * USGS NEIC (WDCS-D)

Moderate quake hits Timor-Leste

JAKARTA, April 13 (Xinhua) -- An earthquake with a magnitude of 5.4 rocked Timor-Leste on Monday, but there is no report of damage or casualty, Indonesian meteorology agency said.

  The quake jolted at 20:36 Jakarta time (1336 GMT) with epicenter at 173 km southwest of Dili, the capital of Timor-Leste, and at a depth of 565 km, an official of the agency said.

  Timor-Leste sits on a vulnerable quake hit zone so called the "Pacific ring of fire", where two continental plates meet causing frequent seismic and volcanic movements.

Editor: Deng Shasha
 

Earthquake Details

Magnitude 5.2

Date-Time

* Monday, April 13, 2009 at 13:36:45 UTC
* Monday, April 13, 2009 at 10:36:45 PM at epicenter
* Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones

Location 6.818°S, 125.109°E
Depth 548.8 km (341.0 miles)
Region BANDA SEA
Distances 200 km (125 miles) NNW of DILI, East Timor
310 km (195 miles) ESE of Baubau, Sulawesi, Indonesia
405 km (250 miles) NNE of Kupang, Timor, Indonesia
885 km (550 miles) NW of DARWIN, Northern Territory, Australia
Location Uncertainty horizontal +/- 7.2 km (4.5 miles); depth +/- 9.2 km (5.7 miles)
Parameters NST= 76, Nph= 76, Dmin=625.9 km, Rmss=0.84 sec, Gp= 68°,
M-type=body wave magnitude (Mb), Version=Q
Source

* USGS NEIC (WDCS-D)

Strong quake shakes Indonesian island

TOLITOLI, Indonesia, April 12 (UPI) -- A strong earthquake on Indonesia's central Sulawesi Island sent residents fleeing from their homes Sunday, witnesses said.
The temblor, which struck at midday, was measured at magnitude 5.2 with its undersea epicenter set at 113 miles northeast of Tolitoli, Indonesia's Geophysical Climatological and Meteorological told the Antara news agency.
No tsunami warning was issued along with the quake, which followed a 5.3-magnitude quake earlier Sunday off Tahuna in North Sulawesi, officials said. Another earthquake struck North Sulawesi Friday, that one measured at magnitude 5.2, Antara said.
No casualties or significant damages were reported from any of the quakes. Earthquake Details
Magnitude
5.3
Date-Time
Sunday, April 12, 2009 at 05:19:56 UTC
Sunday, April 12, 2009 at 01:19:56 PM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
1.982°N, 122.173°E
Depth
31.4 km (19.5 miles) set by location program
Region
MINAHASA, SULAWESI, INDONESIA
Distances
190 km (115 miles) NNW of Gorontalo, Sulawesi, Indonesia305 km (190 miles) W of Manado, Sulawesi, Indonesia1395 km (870 miles) S of MANILA, Philippines1935 km (1200 miles) ENE of JAKARTA, Java, Indonesia
Location Uncertainty
horizontal +/- 6.5 km (4.0 miles); depth fixed by location program
Parameters
NST= 70, Nph= 70, Dmin=677.8 km, Rmss=0.97 sec, Gp= 29°,M-type=body wave magnitude (Mb), Version=R
Source
USGS NEIC (WDCS-D)

Mw 6.3 Central Italy

on April 06th, 2009 at 01:32 UTC An earthquake of magnitude Mw 6.3 occurred on 06/04/2009 in central Italy, at 7 km North-West of L'Aquila (Abruzzo Region) at 01:32 UTC (03:32 local time).59 km E Terni (pop 110,412)7 km NW L'aquila (pop 72,279)6 km S Pizzoli (pop 3,378)

Friday 10 April, 14:00 UTC:According to the Italian officials, 289 died, and 30,000 were left homeless. The epicenter was in L'Aquila (Abruzzo Region), a medieval fortress hill town, where a number of people were trapped under rubble. Source : ANSA : http://www.ansa.it/ Enel SpA cut electricity supply to 15,000 users as a “security measure” after the quake, a company spokeswoman said. -->Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi declared a state of emergency to speed aid delivery to the region. The Civil Protection Department, said between 10,000 and 15,000 buildings were damaged. Stadiums and sporting fields are being readied to house the homeless.

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