Jakarta: A massive earthquake pof 6.1 magnitude struck off Indonesia’s Sumatra island on Tuesday, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS). The tremor has hit in waters near Sumatra, a region that frequently experiences seismic activity due to its location along the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” where several tectonic plates converge. However, there were no immediate reports of casualties or damage.

It should be noted that Indonesia is part of the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” a region known for frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, making it particularly vulnerable to seismic events. Moreover, Indonesia’s Sumatra region lies along a major tectonic collision zone that stretches more than 8,000 kilometres, going from Papua in the east to the Himalayan front in the west. The Sumatra-Andaman section of this zone also forms a subduction megathrust along the Sunda-Java trench, where the Indo-Australia and Sunda plates converge.

In November 2025, the Indonesian Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) reported a strong 6.3-magnitude quake near Aceh province, striking at a depth of 10 kilometres. The tremor was felt strongly, but authorities confirmed there is no tsunami threat.

In November 2025, the Indonesian Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) reported a strong 6.3-magnitude quake near Aceh province, striking at a depth of 10 kilometres. The tremor was felt strongly, but authorities confirmed there is no tsunami threat.

Another earthquake magnitude 6.1 struck Indonesia's Central Papua province in September 2025 , the US Geological Survey (USGS) reported. The earthquake's epicentre was located 28 kilometres (17 miles) south of the town of Nabire, which is on the Indonesian half of the large Pacific island shared with Papua New Guinea.

Even as the USGS reported the quake at a 6.1 magnitude and depth of 10 kilometres, Indonesia's BMKG agency put it at 6.6 magnitude and a depth of 24 kilometres, and reported several smaller aftershocks.

Source: India TV