20 Aftershocks Recorded After 6.8 Magnitude Quake Hits Indonesia

At least 20 aftershocks have been recorded after a 6.8 magnitude earthquake rattled Indonesia's Central Sulawesi province on Friday afternoon.

"According to BMKG monitoring, until 21:00 Western Indonesia Time (WIB), some 20 aftershocks have occurred in various magnitudes," Xinhua quoted the Chairperson of Indonesia''s Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) as saying.

While the strongest aftershock has been recorded at 5.6 on the Richter Scale, the mildest one is at 3.4, according to Chairperson Dwikorita Karnawati.

A tsunami alert had been sounded following the 6.8 magnitude earthquake in the region, which is still reeling in the aftermath from September's dual earthquakes and tsunami which claimed a staggering 4,340 lives.

Rehabilitation efforts to relocate the displaced are still underway from the 7.5 earthquake which had struck the cities of Palu and Donggala in September.

Indonesia is highly susceptible to earthquakes and tsunamis as it lies in the highly seismic Ring of Fire, an area in the basin of the Pacific Ocean.

In December 2004, a devastating 9.1 magnitude quake off the Sumatra island triggered strong tsunami waves in the Indian Ocean, killing over two lakh people in dozens of countries, including India and Sri Lanka.