Earthquake April 11, 2012 - Indonesia, Aceh (News Compilation)
7:14 PM
Indian Ocean on tsunami watch after Sumatra quake: US centre
JAKARTA, April 11, 2012 (AFP) - A massive earthquake struck off Indonesia's Sumatra island on Wednesday, US and Indonesian monitors reported, prompting a Pacific-wide tsunami alert.
The quake's magnitude was 8.7, according to a revised measurement from the US Geological Survey, and it struck 431 kilometres (268 miles) off the Indonesian city of Banda Aceh.
The quake's magnitude was 8.7, according to a revised measurement from the US Geological Survey, and it struck 431 kilometres (268 miles) off the Indonesian city of Banda Aceh.
Banda Aceh was near the epicentre of a devastating quake in 2004 that triggered a tsunami across the Indian Ocean, which killed 170,000 people.
The latest tremor was felt as far afield as Thailand and southern India, residents said.
The latest tremor was felt as far afield as Thailand and southern India, residents said.
Bloomberg News
Indonesian Rupiah, Bonds Drop After Aceh Quake, Tsunami Warnings
BBC News
Large Aceh quake triggers Indian Ocean tsunami warning
An earthquake with an initial magnitude of 8.9 has struck under the sea off Indonesia's northern Aceh province.
The quake triggered a tsunami warning across the Indian Ocean region.
The region is regularly hit by earthquakes. The Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004 killed 170,000 people in Aceh.
The US Geological Survey, which documents quakes worldwide, said the Aceh quake was centred 33km (20 miles) under the sea about 495km from Banda Aceh, the provincial capital.
The tsunami centre's warning said quakes of such a magnitude "have the potential to generate a widespread destructive tsunami that can affect coastlines across the entire Indian Ocean basin".
Reuters reports that people in the region were making their way to higher ground.
THE STAR
Published: Wednesday April 11, 2012 MYT 4:44:00 PM
Updated: Wednesday April 11, 2012 MYT 5:51:37 PM
8.7 quake off Aceh, Indonesia issues tsunami alert
JAKARTA: The magnitude of the earthquake that struck off Indonesia on Wednesday has been revised downward to 8.7, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS).
Earlier, it was reported that Indonesia had issued a tsunami warning after a quake with a preliminary magnitude of 8.9 hit waters off westernmost Aceh province.
The USGS said the quake was centred 33km beneath the ocean floor around 434km from the provincial capital of Banda Aceh.
Said, an official at Indonesia's Meteorology and Geophysics Agency who goes by only one name, said a tsunami warning has been issued.
Indonesia straddles a series of fault lines that makes the vast island nation prone to volcanic and seismic activity.
A giant 9.1-magnitude quake off the country on Dec 26, 2004, triggered a tsunami in the Indian Ocean that killed 230,000 people, nearly three quarter of them in Aceh.
Meanwhile, in Penang, mild tremors lasting about a minute were felt in Seberang Prai around 4.45pm, sending people scurrying out of their homes and public places.
Tremors were also felt in the Klang Valley.
According to Bernama, several states in the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia experienced tremors following the earthquake.
Kuala Lumpur Fire and Rescue Department assistant operations director Azizan Ismail said the tremors were felt in Kuala Lumpur, Penang and Perak.
In Bangkok, a tsunami warning and evacuation order were issued by disaster prevention authorities in the southern Thai provinces of Phuket and Phangnga.
"The province has turned on the warning sirens and asked people all over Phuket island to move to a safe place," an official from the Phuket Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Centre told Reuters by telephone.
An official from the warning centre Phangnga said: "We warn people in every district to evacuate immediately because there is a possibility of a tsunami."
Phuket and Phangnga are provinces popular with tourists and were among those hit by the 2004 Indian Ocena tsunami that killed more than 5,000 people in Thailand.
7 comments
It was really a sad incident happened today. And I was worrying when Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre issue the Tsunami warning. Luckily there is no Tsunami so far.
ReplyDeleteYeah i was kinda worried too that it'll be like Japan. But thank God it's not as bad I think? Don't know haven't heard any news about the situation. Hope everyone is safe.
Deletehaha the end of the world is coming! XD
ReplyDeleteYou sound excited lol!
DeleteHope no more Tsunami it is too scary.
ReplyDeleteNope no tsunami thank God.
DeleteIt is very unfortunate that our scientists and scientific systems/observatories are either not fully fucntional or not in order to understand this earthquake events and we have to depend on US and other advanced countries inspite of sepending lot of public money . Regret .
ReplyDelete