Powerful quake hits off western Indonesia

[chitown]

Powerful quake hits off western Indonesia - Yahoo! News

BANDA ACEH, Indonesia (AP) — A powerful earthquake hit waters off western Indonesia early Wednesday, prompting officials to issue a tsunami warning. Panicked residents poured into the streets, but there were no immediate reports of injuries or serious damage.
The U.S. Geological Survey said the 7.3-magnitude quake struck 260 miles (420 kilometers) off the coast of Aceh province just after midnight. It was centered 18 miles (30 kilometers) beneath the ocean floor.
Residents in the provincial capital, Banda Aceh, and other cities along the coast fled their homes and waited in the streets. Patients were evacuated from at least one hospital as a precaution.
"It was very strong," said Darmili, district head in Seumele. "But so far we're not hearing anything about injuries or real damage."
Officials elsewhere had similar reports.
Arief Akhir, of Indonesia's geological agency, said a tsunami warning had been issued. But more than an hour after the quake, there were no signs of seismically triggered waves.
Indonesia is prone to seismic upheaval due to its location on the Pacific "Ring of Fire," an arc of volcanos and fault lines encircling the Pacific Basin.
A giant quake off the country on Dec. 26, 2004, triggered a tsunami in the Indian Ocean that killed 230,000 people, half of them in Aceh.

[kingwilly]

UPDATE 7.52am: INDONESIA has cancelled a tsunami warning after a powerful 7.3-magnitude earthquake struck off Aceh province today.


The earthquake struck off Aceh in Indonesia. Picture: United States Geological Service Supplied





The United States Geological Survey said the quake hit 420km off the coast of Aceh province about 2.37am local time (5.37am AEDT) today.
It was centered 30km beneath the ocean floor.
Arief Akhir, an official with Indonesia's geological agency, said a tsunami warning was issued.
The warning has now been lifted, according to Reuters.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said: "There is a very small possibility of a local tsunami that could affect coasts located usually no more than a hundred kilometres from the earthquake epicentre."
In Banda Aceh, the ground shook for 30 seconds and terrified residents rushed out of their homes, but they returned indoors shortly after, an AFP reporter there said.

Indonesia is prone to seismic upheaval due to its location on the Pacific "Ring of Fire," an arc of volcanos and fault lines encircling the Pacific Basin.
A giant quake off the country on Boxing Day in 2004 triggered a tsunami in the Indian Ocean that killed 230,000 people, half of them in Aceh.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/wor...-1226241331640

[good2bhappy]

phew!

[Strongarm]

I bet that ruffled the sphincter of a few people in Banda Aceh

[withnallstoke]

ruffled the sphincter of a few people

A series of aftershocks?

[StrontiumDog]

Thai-ASEAN News Network - Indonesia's Recent Quake will not Affect Thailand



Indonesia's Recent Quake will not Affect Thailand

UPDATE : 11 January 2012

A powerful earthquake struck Indonesia's Sumatra Island this morning, prompting officials to issue a tsunami warning.

A powerful quake with a magnitude of 7.3 on the Richter scale hit Sumatra Island of Indonesia's Banda Aceh Province this morning.

The quake occurred at 1:37 A.M. with its epicenter at a depth of 29.1 kilometers, 423 kilometers off the Banda Aceh coast and 1,789 kilometers from the capital of Jakarta.


In response, Indonesian authorities announced a tsunami warning along the coastal region, in the North of Sumatra Island.

The authorities have monitored the situation around the clock.

Meanwhile, the Thailand National Disaster Warning Center reported that the 7.3 Richter quake occurred 836 kilometer from Phuket Province, where locals felt the shake.

However, the center affirmed that Thailand's southern region would not be affected by the recent quake.

All warnings announced earlier by the center have now been canceled.

People can keep an up-to-date on information through the 192 hotline or the telephone number 02-399-4114.

[Loy Toy]

I bet that ruffled the sphincter of a few people in Banda Aceh

I suppose the whole of the Indian Ocean trembles when there is another earthquake.