Indonesia: Magnitude-5.1 offshore earthquake occurs southwest of Sumatra Island Aug. 5

A magnitude-5.1 earthquake occurred in the Indian Ocean to the southwest of Sumatra Island at around 19:44 Aug. 5. The epicenter was about 234 km (145 miles) west-southwest of Bandar Lampung, Lampung Province. The tremor occurred at a depth of about 21 km (13 miles), and light shaking was probably felt throughout parts of southern and western Lampung, southern Bengkulu, southwestern South Sumatra, and southwestern Banten provinces. There have been no initial reports of damage or casualties as a result of the earthquake; however, 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.