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Tsunami warning issued after earthquake strikes off Indonesia
An 8.7 magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Indonesia prompting a tsunami watch for the entire Indian Ocean and countries including Thailand, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and India.
The Indian Ocean coastlines have been placed on tsunami alert after an 8.7-magnitude earthquake hit off the coast of Aceh province.
The quake struck 308 miles southwest of the city of Banda Aceh, on the northern tip of Indonesia's Sumatra island, at a depth of 20.5 miles, the U.S. Geological survey said.
The earthquake has prompted evacuations from coastal regions and alarm in areas struck by a tsunami in 2004. According to the US Geological Survey, the earthquake was measured at 8.7-magnitude. Earlier, it had been reported that it was an 8.9 quake.
The quake was felt as far away as the Thai capital, Bangkok, and in southern India, residents said.
Hundreds of office workers in the Indian city of Bangalore left their buildings while the Indian port of Chennai closed down because of the danger of a tsunami, Reuters reports the port as saying.
The quake which hit the country in 2004 which caused the tsunami had been measured at a 9.1 magnitude. In all 12 Indian Ocean countries, 230,000 people had been killed.
