March 28, 2005 Sumatra Earthquake

Update 1 | Summary
Posting Date: April 6, 2005, 1:00:00 PM

Following the magnitude 8.7 earthquake that struck off the West coast of Indonesia on March 28, widely varying information has been received regarding both the number of people killed and injured, and the extent of damage to buildings. Estimates of fatalities range between 600 and 2,000, and the number of buildings damaged are generally estimated to number in the thousands. The March 28 quake was an aftershock of the December 26, 2004 event and prompted the governments of Indonesia, Thailand, India, Sri Lanka and Malaysia to issue tsunami warnings. Though tsunamis did not impact other countries, reports indicate a 3-meter tsunami damaged the port and airport on the nearby Indonesian island of Simeulue. A tsunami of 2 meters was also reported on the west coast of the island of Nias. Reports indicate that the majority of the damage from the earthquake occurred on the island of Nias, which has a population of about 450,000. The latest information indicates that 80% of the buildings on Nias were affected by the earthquake, with 30% of the buildings in Gunung Sitoli, the island's capital, destroyed. Insured losses resulting from this event are expected to below, primarily because take-up rates are low in the region, but also because many structures that might have been impacted by this event – particularly those along the west coast of Sumatra – were destroyed by December's tsunami.

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Posting Date: April 6, 2005, 1:00:00 PM