Indonesia: Magnitude-5.1 offshore earthquake occurs southwest of Sumatra Island Dec. 9

A magnitude-5.1 earthquake occurred in the Indian Ocean to the southwest of Sumatra Island and west of Java Island at around 15:21 Dec. 9. The epicenter was about 205 km (127 miles) southwest of Bandar, Lampung Province. The tremor occurred at a depth of about 36 km (22 miles), and light shaking was probably felt throughout parts of western Banten, southern and western Lampung, far southern Bengkulu, and far southwestern 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.