March 18, 1818 Earthquake: Bengkulu, Sumatra, Indonesia

March 18, 1818. There was an earthquake at Bengkulu. The ships "Northumberland" and "Sandbury" were shaken so strongly that the sailors were tossed from their berths. The tremors were felt by Raffles, who was onboard a ship 350 km (200 miles) from the coast of Sumatra. At Fort Malboro, a very strong shock occurred at night. One of the eyewitnesses who described the earthquake was thrown from his bed, and the wall of the home partly collapsed. At dawn, it was found that the sea had retreated far from shore and that all the ships riding in the roadstead had sat on the bottom. Soon thereafter the sea returned, surging in with great force and washing away everything in its path. The water advanced so far inland that a bridge was inundated. At Bengkulu, the shocks lasted at least until April 8, the postdate on the letter. (reference #414)

March 18, 1818. A very strong shock was reported and associated with both a tsunami and a seaquake. People on land were thrown out of bed, suggesting Modified Mercalli (MM) IntensityI X; the reports of two ships at sea state, "sailors had been thrown out of their hammocks." Seaquakes at a distance of "over 200 miles from the coast "were reported. Aftershocks were felt for at least 3 weeks afterwards. Two months later (May, 1818) a significant aftershock and associated seaquake were reported. (reference #8795)

1818, 18 March, Bengkulu, SW Sumatra: Earthquake observed at Fort Marlborough where people were thrown out of bed and walls collapsed. The sea withdrew before a tsunami drove everything with great force back on shore. On the ships Northumberland and Sunbury, the shock was so strong that the sailors were thrown from their berths. The water flooded up over the bridge inland. Aftershocks were noted until at least 8 April. likely source: Sunda megathrust or accretionary wedge fault. (reference #11528)

Reference #2725 lists 18 March 1819, likely an error and meant to be 1818.