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A magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck Indonesia’s North Sumatra province on Saturday, hours after a powerful 7.7-magnitude quake hit the eastern Flores region, killing dozens of people and injuring many others.
The latest earthquake struck at 5:54pm local time, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS). Its epicentre was located about 7 kilometres north-northwest of Pematangsiantar, at a depth of around 183 kilometres.
There were no immediate reports of casualties or major damage from the North Sumatra quake.
The tremor came several hours after the stronger earthquake struck the Flores region in eastern Indonesia. The quake caused buildings and homes to collapse, triggered landslides and blocked roads, while thousands of residents were forced to evacuate.
Reports put the death toll from the Flores earthquake at at least 38, with more than 100 people injured.
The two earthquakes occurred in geographically distant parts of Indonesia. Pematangsiantar in North Sumatra and the Flores region are about 2,800 to 2,900 kilometres apart.
Indonesia frequently experiences earthquakes because it lies along the Pacific Ring of Fire, one of the world’s most active seismic zones.
Authorities were continuing to assess the situation following the two major earthquakes.