Major quake hits western Indonesia
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_depth/7254325.stm
Big earthquake shakes Indonesia
A powerful 7.5-magnitude earthquake has struck near Indonesia's western province of Aceh, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) says.
The tremor, at a depth of 35km (21.7 miles), had its epicentre 319 km (198 miles) off the coast of Sumatra, and hit at 1508 local time, the USGS added.
The epicentre was close to that of the earthquake which triggered the 2004 Asian tsunami, killing 130,000 people.
Indonesia is situated in one of the world's most seismically active areas.
Local residents said Wednesday's earthquake, close to the island of Simeulue, lasted for almost a minute.
It was felt strongly more than 300km (185 miles) away in the provincial capital, Banda Aceh, where people left their offices after buildings started shaking.
Health officials said there were no immediate reports of casualties or damage from towns along the coast, but phone lines to the island itself are down.
A major, magnitude-7.5 earthquake has shaken western Indonesia, the U.S. Geological Survey says.
http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapc...ake/index.html
(CNN) -- A major earthquake shook western Indonesia on Wednesday afternoon, the U.S. Geological Survey reported.
The magnitude 7.5 quake's epicenter was about 195 miles (315 km), south-southeast of Banda Aceh, on the Indonesian island of Sumatra, the USGS said on its Web site.
A 2004 earthquake near Banda Aceh killed hundreds of thousands of people. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Hawaii issued a local tsunami watch for the area -- normal protocol in such instances.
It is up to local governments to issue tsunami warnings. There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage, according to Indonesian national radio.
The December 26, 2004 earthquake registered 9.0 -- the strongest quake in 40 years -- and was centered about 100 miles from Banda Aceh.
The 2004 quake caused a tsunami that affected the entire Indian Ocean, leaving more than 300,000 people dead or still listed as missing, according to accumulated information from government and health officials, compiled by the United Nations.
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