Tsunami warning after strong quake off Indonesia lifted

JAKARTA - A tsunami warning in Indonesia issued after a 7.2-magnitude earthquake struck off the Sumatran coast of Aceh province Sunday has been lifted, an official said.

The quake was recorded at 0559 GMT with the epicentre 66 km southwest of Meulaboh in West Aceh district, according to the Meteorology, Geophysics and Climatology Agency.

There were no immediate reports of damage or casualties.

Fauzi, head of the Indonesian Tsunami Early Warning System, said there was no threat of a major tsunami and the warning had been lifted.

Fauzi, who like many Indonesians goes by one name, earlier said sea buoys indicated a 20-cm tsunami in the sea off Meulaboh.

An official named Wandi in Meulaboh told Elshinta radio that he had not received reports of damage or casualties.

“The situation is calm and we call on the people to remain calm,” he told the radio station.

The quake was also felt strongly in the neighbouring provinces of North Sumatra and Riau.

Local television showed residents in Medan, the capital of North Sumatra, scrambling out of shopping malls.