M5.0 earthquake near Padangsidempuan, North Sumatra

What happened

A magnitude 5 earthquake struck 33 km NE of Padangsidempuan, Indonesia on 15 Sept 2017, 12:37 UTC at a depth of 159 km.

Earthquakes of this size are classed as Moderate. Can damage poorly built structures close to the epicentre. This was an intermediate-depth earthquake, so shaking is spread over a wider, gentler area.

The nearest town in our records is Padangsidempuan, about 34 km away in North Sumatra, Indonesia.