Screenshots

UPDATED VERSION, Sep 13, 13:15hr. Live updates on USGS Earthquake Center indicate that seismic activities around the Mentawai Archipelago region in Southern Sumatra are quite intense.

Quakes after 07:49hr this morning, totalling 8 times, ranged between 5.0 and 7.1 on the Richter scale.

The first quake at 8.4 Richter scale last night was the world's most powerful so far this year, Al-Jazeera reported.

According to USGS, magnitude 8+ earthquakes averages about once a year. However, there had been four times of earthquakes exceeding magnitude 8 for this year alone.

UPDATED VERSION, Sep 13, 09:43hr.

3 ) Richter 5.9: 2007/09/13 UTC 01:26:37 (09:26hr Malaysia Time) KEPULAUAN MENTAWAI REGION, INDONESIA (Latitude -2.196, Longitude 99.694, depth: 32.0km)

UPDATED VERSION, Sep 13, 08:50hr. Oh gee, there were two more earthquakes moments ago as I was polishing this blog entry. Via USGS Earthquake Center:

1 ) Richter 7.8: 2007/09/12 UTC 23:49:01 (Sep 13, 07:49 Malaysia Time) KEPULAUAN MENTAWAI REGION, INDONESIA (Longitude -2.526, Latitude 100.964, depth: 10.0km)

2 ) Richter 5.1: 2007/09/12 UTC 23:19:44 (Sep 13, 07:19 Malaysia Time) SOUTHWEST OF SUMATRA, INDONESIA (Latitude -4.082, Longitude 100.907, depth: 10.0km)

Screenshots was alerted that all occupants at Menara TM and two neighbouring office towers along Jalan Pantai Baru, KL, had been ordered to evacuate from the buildings. See pictures below:

Cameraphone pictures courtesy Screenshots reader, the Big Bird

At the point of this update, there had been 13 earthquakes in the same region, ranging between 4.9 and 8.4, within the last 24 hours.

ORIGINAL POSTING

There were two big quakes -- 8.4 and 6.0 on Richter scale, respectively -- hitting Southern Sumatra last night, according to USGS Earthquake Center.

There were 10 other quakes and after-shocks along latitude degrees 2.6 to 4.5 South, and longitude degrees 100, 101 (Sumatra) and 126 (South-west Indonesia) -- ranging between 4.9R and 5.9R throughout last night.

At this point in time, calamity is limited to 10 deaths.

No major tsunami, and this could be the reason.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center is really doing a good job alerting people with pinpointed information, including the estimated time of arrival (ETA) for any tsunami that may potentially generate after earthquake strikes. .

Meanwhile, rescuers are bound to the disaster area to assess the damage. Officials fear darkness and broken communications may be hiding the scale of the impact.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has expressed his concern. Let's keep our fingers crossed.