Indonesia: Magnitude-5.0 offshore earthquake occurs off the coast of West Sumatra Province March 20

A magnitude-5.0 earthquake occurred in the Indian Ocean between the Mentawi Islands and the west coast of Sumatra Island at around 15:24 March 20. The epicenter was about 96 km (60 miles) east of Tuapejat, Mentawai Islands Regency, West Sumatra Province. The tremor occurred at a depth of about 53 km (33 miles), and light shaking was probably felt throughout parts of central and southern West Sumatra, northern Bengkulu, southwestern Riau, western Jambi, and far northwestern South Sumatra provinces. There have been no initial reports of damage or casualties as a result of the earthquake, and significant damage is unlikely. It could take several hours until authorities can conduct comprehensive damage assessments, especially in remote areas. Light aftershocks are likely over the coming days. The event has not prompted any tsunami advisories.

Officials may temporarily shut down transportation infrastructure in the tremor zone to check for damage. Minor disruptions could occur during shutdowns, but service will likely resume quickly if no damage is found. Utility outages are possible, particularly near the earthquake's epicenter.