Pacific Tsunami Warning Center warns
A tsunami watch declared after two major earthquakes off the coast of Indonesia’s Aceh province has now been cancelled, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PWTC) says.
Two hours after the quakes – one with a magnitude of 8.6, the other measuring 8.3 – the centre says “the threat has diminished or is over for most areas”.
The alerts caused panic as people fled buildings and made for high ground.
There have been no immediate reports of damage or casualties.
India, Thailand and Sri Lanka have also lifted their own tsunami warnings.
The region is regularly hit by earthquakes. The Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004 killed 170,000 people in Aceh alone and some 250,000 around the region.
The US Geological Survey (USGS), which documents quakes worldwide, said the first Aceh quake was centred at a depth of 33km (20 miles), about 495km from Banda Aceh, the provincial capital.
It was initially reported as 8.9 magnitude but was later revised down to 8.6 by the USGS. Quake officials said a tsunami had been generated and was heading for the coast of Aceh.
The BBC’s Karishma Vaswani in Jakarta says there were reports of the ground shaking for up to five minutes.
A PTWC alert said that sea level readings indicated a tsunami was generated and that it “may already have been destructive along some coasts,” without specifying where.
A Thai disaster official said a 10cm wave had been recorded on Koh Miang island, off Phang Nga.
Earlier, Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said the authorities were remaining “vigilant”, despite the lack of tsunami reports.
“Our warning system is working well, and I have ordered the national relief team to fly immediately to Aceh to ensure the situation is under control and to take any necessary action,” he said.
Source: BBC
