The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Wed, 12/23/2009 9:16 AM  |  National

An earthquake measuring 6.1 on the Richter Scale rocked Padang, West Sumatra, at 8:11 a.m. on Wednesday. There was no immediate report of injury and damage.

The quake's epicenter was located at around 56 kilometers southeast of off coast  Siberut, Mentawai, at a depth of 10 kilometers below sea level, according to data from the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency

Antara state news agency reported that the emblor caused residents in Padang and Mentawai  to rush out of their houses in panic.

On September 30, 2009, a powerful earthquake with a magnitude of 7.9 on the Richter scale devastated Padang city, the provincial capital of West Sumatra, killing at least 1,117 people.

Experts have warned the area, which lies near the Indo-Australian and Eurasian tectonic plates, would bear the brunt of Indonesia's next major earthquake, as the final segment along the stretch is shifting and is expected to unleash a massive amount of energy.