Indonesian Earthquake

Indonesia is one of the most beautiful countries in the asia pacific region. The archipelagic geography of the country and the tropical climate make way for pristine beaches that attract hundreds of thousands of tourists each year. However, this beauty frequently needs to contest with earthquakes that Indonesia is prone to due to its geographical location, which lie on the so-called Pacific "Ring of Fire".

Indonesian earthquakes are exceptionally frequent but despite this, tsunamis rarely hit the country's shorelines except for the December 2004 tsunami that swept across South Asian counties, Indonesia including, and took tens of thousands of lives and millions more homeless. An Indonesian earthquake of undersea origin triggered the formation of a tsunami that ravaged what mostly were tourist destinations and resorts, killed an estimated 200,000 lives, destroyed millions of dollars worth of properties.

Just recently, Indonesia earthquake with a 5.5 and 5.4 magnitude shook the southwest region of Sumatera in Indonesia on January 3, 2007 at 11:31p.m. and 11:48p.m., respectively. On that same day, Northern Sumatera also felt a 5.3 magnitude earthquake at 12:47p.m. and a milder 4.9-magnitude earthquake hit Halmahera province in Indonesia.

Indonesia's experiences with earthquakes are countless but the strongest tremors were the ones etched in the locals' and visitors' memories. In the last week of May 2006, a powerful earthquake took a death toll of more than 3,000 while at least 2,900 people were seriously injured. Many more were believed trapped under the rubbles.

Another Indonesian earthquake that occurred on March 28, 2005 and measured 8.7 on the Richter scale claimed an estimated 676 lives and injured 25,335 people. The devastation caused by the quake called for other nations to respond and send financial aids to Indonesia to help in stricken provinces. In the last week of May 2003, a series of Indonesian earthquakes jolted the peaceful coastal towns of North Sulawesi, the island of Morotai, and Halmahera. The said seismic upheavals, which measured 6.4 to 7.0 magnitudes, resulted in one death, 54 injuries, and damaged properties.

Indonesian earthquakes often cause road and airfield closures due to damages, absence of water and electricity, reduced hospital functions that could result to limited services, and expect dead bodies to greet you along the way in stricken areas. Despite Indonesia's fate on earthquakes, the country manages to stand back up after being stumbled down by nature's deadly tremors. The beaches and resorts swept almost entirely by the December 2004 tsunami are now thriving with tourists again, which is one of the region's topmost sources of income and livelihood.