September 9, 2008 Earthquake: Southern, Sumatra, Indonesia
A magnitude 5.4 earthquake struck Southern, Sumatra, Indonesia on September 9, 2008 at 03:07:27 UTC, 25 km below the surface. It killed 2 people.
Map
Where it struck, with the other significant earthquakes within 200 km. Circles are sized and colored by magnitude; select one for its page.
The earthquake
- Date
- September 9, 2008
- Time
- 03:07:27 UTC
- Place
- Southern, Sumatra, Indonesia
- Magnitude
- 5.4 (mb)
- Focal depth
- 25 km (16 mi)
- Tsunami
- None recorded
- Epicenter
- 3.935° S, 103.058° E
- Country
- Indonesia
The toll
- Deaths
- 2
- Damage
- Moderate (about $1 to $5 million)
- Houses damaged
- 113 with its tsunami and other effects
Where the literature gives no number, NCEI records a description on a scale of 1 to 4, printed here in its words. Damage is in millions of US dollars of the year of the event, not adjusted for inflation.
What the record says
NCEI’s account, from the sources it cites.
Two people killed and 113 homes severely damaged (VI) at Lahat. Several buildings also damaged at Jarai. Felt (IV) at
Kapahiang and Pagaralam and (III) at Bengkulu. (reference #1053)
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- February 15, 1994, Southern Sumatera, Liwa, Lampung, Indonesia
- June 4, 2000, Bengkulu, Enggano, Sumatra, Indonesia
- September 12, 2007, Sumatra, Indonesia
- June 25, 1914, Sumatera, Indonesia
- December 15, 1979, S Sumatera, Indonesia
- June 7, 2000, Lahat, Southern Sumatera, Indonesia
- January 29, 1986, S, Hahat, Muaraenim, Sumatera, Indonesia
- October 10, 1896, SW. Sumatra, Java, Indonesia
- April 21, 1958, Bengkulu, Sumatra, Indonesia
- September 25, 1931, SW. Sumatra, Indonesia
- 1770, Sumatra, Indonesia
- March 18, 1818, Bengkulu, Sumatra, Indonesia
- June 25, 1933, S Sumatera, Indonesia
More
Significant earthquakes of 2008The 2000sEvery quake the USGS located in 2008Recent earthquakes near hereThis day in weather history
Sources
Significant earthquakes from NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information, Global Historical Hazard Database, cited as NCEI/WDS, doi:10.7289/V5PN93H7. Public domain. Read 2026-09-24. NCEI earthquake 8185.