Indian Ocean tsunami alert issued after strong quake hits Indonesian coast
Jakarta (AsiaNews) - A strong 8.7 earthquake was registered at 3.38 pm local time off the coast of the Indonesian province of Aceh, which was struck by a devastating quake in December 2004 followed by a tsunami that killed more than 200,000 people across the region. Currently, a tsunami alert was issued for 26 nations around the Indian Ocean. In Indonesian, millions of people have poured into the streets in panic. The quake itself was felt in India, Thailand and Singapore. The danger of a tsunami and more aftershocks remain the main concern. An 8.2 aftershock was registered at 05.43 pm local time. A tsunami alert remains in place.
Centred near Simeulue Island (Aceh) at a depth of 30 kilometres, the quake lasted about three minutes, affecting dozens of Indonesian cities, including Medan, Padang, Jambi and Bengkulu. People fled beaches and the coastline, seeking refuge on higher elevations.
In a press release, Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said that there was "no tsunami threat, although we are on alert", especially in the coastal areas of Aceh, West Sumatra, Bengkulu and West Java.
Speaking to AsiaNews about the situation in Padang, West Sumatra, the local bishop, Mgr Martinus Situmorang, said, "We are okay, despite a strong tremor felt here".
Panic broke out causing traffic jams, especially in Aceh. But so far, there have been no reports of casualties.
Power was cut, but local sources told AsiaNews that the airport in Banda Aceh suffered minor damages like broken glasses and remains open. No flights were cancelled.
India's NDTV reported waves of 30-45 centimetres in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, but nothing like three to six metre waves initially announced.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC) of the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency (NOAA) issued an Indian Ocean tsunami alert, not a full warning. Experts stress that the next few hours will be crucial to see how things will unfold and whether there will be any major aftershock.
Indonesian seismologists reported a second earthquake, measuring 6.5, but did not raise the alert level for the 26 nations that face the Indian Ocean, including Indonesia, India, Sri Lanka, Australia, Myanmar, Thailand, Maldives, Malaysia, Mauritius, Reunion, Seychelles, Pakistan, Somalia, Oman, Madagascar, Singapore and Bangladesh.
Indonesia is located on the Pacific Ring of Fire, a chain of hot spots around the Pacific Ocean with intense volcanic and seismic activity.
On 30 October 2009, another major quake hit the Padang area. Some 700 people were killed and more than 180 homes were destroyed.
On 26 December 2004, a tsunami killed more than 160,000 people in Indonesia and other nations around the Indian Ocean.
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16/12/2017 12:55
