Large Aceh quake triggers Indian Ocean tsunami warning

A tsunami watch for the Indian Ocean is lifted after no significant waves are reported following two earthquakes off the coast of Indonesia.

An earthquake with an initial magnitude of 8.9 struck under the sea off Indonesia’s northern Aceh province.

The quake triggered a tsunami warning across the Indian Ocean region.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center advised authorities to “take appropriate action” as it was not known whether a tsunami had been generated.

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.

It was initially reported as 8.9 magnitude but was later revised down to 8.7 by the USGS.

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”.

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