Quake sparks blackout in North Sumatra


A mild earthquake jolted the western coast of North Sumatra on Sunday evening, causing a blackout across the regency of Tarutung.

Local manager of the state electricity company PLN, M Simbolon, said the quake was responsible for the power failure, but he was not certain as to how the tremor could trigger a blackout..

“We remain in the dark about which part of power system that has been disrupted by the earthquake,” Simbolon said as quoted by kompas.com.

PLN officers were locating the cause of the power failure, which occurred amid a heavy

The Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency said the magnitude-5.2 quake was also felt in Sibolga, Toba Samosir and North Tapanuli regencies, stirring panic among residents. No damages have been reported following the tremor.

The epicenter of the quake was located nine kilometers northwest of Tarutung at a depth of 10 kilometers beneath the earth. A number of aftershocks followed later in the day.