Indonesia lifts tsunami alert after 7.2-magnitude quake

JAKARTA (AFP) — Indonesia lifted a tsunami alert issued after a powerful 7.2-magnitude quake struck off the west coast of Sumatra island on Monday, the geophysics and meteorological agency said.

"The tsunami warning has ended after the 7.2-magnitude quake," the agency said in a text message.

The quake hit 165 kilometres (103 miles) northwest of Sumatra's Mukomuko at 3:36 pm (0836 GMT) at a depth of 10 kilometres, the agency said.

The US Geological Survey measured the quake at 7.3 and said it occurred at a depth of 35 kilometres.

The quake was felt in tall buildings in the capital Jakarta, where pictures swayed on walls.

In Bengkulu, about 280 kilometres from the epicentre, provincial government official Linda told AFP that the quake was felt strongly.

"But, God be praised, there does not appear to be any damage visible so far," she said.

"Everyone rushed out of buildings, but this has become sort of a habit for us all, so there was not panic," she said, adding that people had quickly returned to normal activities in her neighbourhood.

An ElShinta radio reporter in Bengkulu also said residents ran outside their homes and had stayed there, fearing further aftershocks.

Rizal, a BMG official also based in Bengkulu, said he received a report from the town of Mukomuko about 30 minutes after the quake hit.

"So far there have been no signs of a tsunami such as the water receding, so hopefully there will be none," he told AFP.

Bengkulu province was badly damaged in an 8.4-magnitude quake in September that struck off Sumatra's west coast, killing 23 people. It was followed by a series of major aftershocks.

Last Wednesday, a strong 7.5-magnitude quake rocked Indonesia's Aceh province, at the tip of Sumatra, killing three people and seriously injuring 25 others on remote Simeulue island.

The Indonesian archipelago sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire, where continental plates collide and cause frequent seismic and volcanic activity.

Indonesia was the nation worst hit by the earthquake-triggered Indian Ocean tsunami in December 2004, which killed some 168,000 people in Aceh.
[link to afp.google.com]