Global General
Tsunami warning lifted after 7.4 quake in Indonesia
(Agencies)
Updated: 2010-05-09 16:54
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BANDA ACEH, Indonesia - A local tsunami alert was issued and later lifted after an earthquake of magnitude 7.4 struck Sumatra, Indonesia, the country's quake agency and the United States Geological Survey (USGS) reported on Sunday.
"Sea level readings indicate that a significant tsunami was not generated. Therefore the tsunami watch issued by this center is now cancelled," the USGS said.
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"From what I see around my office, there's no damage but I see people running out of their houses. They are still outside, afraid to go back," he said.
The Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) TV reported that people's activities were back to normal. It said, "there is not anticipative action by police as activities are back to normal."
Ali Muzayin, the agency's head of Seismology Division said that as 30 minutes passed after the earthquake, the tsunami potential lessened.
Muhammad Nazar, the Vice Governor of Aceh and the Head of Disaster Coordination Task Force, said that buildings were heavily damaged in Aceh Barat regency, Simeulue Island and other coastal areas.
He also said that power was shutdown in several areas due to the major earthquake.
The Indonesian archipelago stretches across a seismically active area known as the Pacific Ring of Fire and is prone to earthquakes and volcanoes.
A 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami on Sumatra island killed 170,000 people in Aceh province alone, while more than 1,000 people died after a powerful quake hit the city of Padang last September.
