A Third Earthquake Expected

Though no tsunami materialized in the wake of the 8.7 Richter scale earthquake centered in Sumatra on Monday, a warning that a third earthquake may be soon to follow has awakened further fear in the region. The last earthquake has been identified as an aftershock to the devestating quake that took place on December 26th, 2004 off of Sumatra.  Occuring at a distance of 200 kilometers from land, the latest quake caused less damage to buildings and people than originally expected. Still, official estimate that atleast 1,000 people have lost their lives in the Monday quake, and that the number could rise over the next days.  Australian geologist Phil Cummins warned this week that a third earthquake in the same region was to be expected, as the tension in the earth resulting from the second large aftershock would be raised now. Cummins declined to guess as to when this third quake could be expected. Â