The 8.4 magnitude quake that struck off the coast of
western Sumatra on Wednesday and a series of aftershocks
spurred fresh magma movement in the volcanoes, which lie close
to the quake's epicentre, Saut Simatupang told Reuters. "It is true that the shocks have spurred an increased
number of tremors in surrounding volcanoes. The number of
tremors indicate the movement of magma," Simatupang said.
"If you ask me whether any of the volcanoes will erupt
because of the shocks, my definite answer is no. There is
nothing to worry about."
Mount Talang -- which lies just 30 km (19 miles) from
Padang, the city nearest to the epicentre of one of the quakes
-- recorded almost 40 times the usual number of volcanic
tremors a day after the quake, Simatupang said.
But activity on the 2,597-metre (8,520-foot) volcano
dropped dramatically the day after, and the number of tremors
is now close to the normal six a day.
Two other volcanoes, Mount Dempo and Kaba in the worst-hit
province of Bengkulu, have also calmed down after the
aftershocks began to ease.
A series of tremors, ranging in intensity from 4.9 to 7.8
since Wednesday's quake, have repeatedly set off tsunami
warnings in Indian Ocean countries.
More than 20 people have died and over 100 have been
injured in the severe earthquake, but with no reports of the
sort of tsunami that caused widespread devastation around the
Indian Ocean rim on Dec. 26, 2004, following a 9.15 magnitude
quake.
Indonesia has the highest number of active volcanoes of any
country, sitting on a belt of intense seismic activity known as
the "Pacific Ring of Fire".