The Hindu : Front Page : Quake off Sumatra triggers tsunami fears

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Mar 29, 2005

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Front Page

Quake off Sumatra triggers tsunami fears

JAKARTA, MARCH 28. A huge earthquake off the coast of Indonesia tonight left "tens" of people dead and caused extensive damage on the outlying island of Nias, south of Sumatra, an official on the island told Metro TV. It also triggered panic and raised fears of another tsunami, similar to the one that devastated the Indian Ocean rim just over three months ago.

"I can say that tens of people died but I cannot be sure," Agus Mendrofa, the deputy chief of Nias island, said. He said hundreds of houses had collapsed in the island's capital Gumung Sitoli. Many were left trapped under buildings as thousands of residents fled to higher ground.

"The roads are broken and public facilities were damaged," he said, adding that there were several aftershocks after the main quake.

In Banda Aceh on Sumatra's northern tip, the area most affected by the tsunami of December 26, 2004, the quake cut electricity and sent people scurrying for high ground. The quake lasted about two minutes — far longer than most of the daily aftershocks that have rocked Aceh since December 26.

The United States Geological Survey, one of the global leaders in earthquake monitoring, said the quake measured 8.7 and that it occurred at 11.09 p.m. at a depth of nearly 30 km. The Hawaii-based Pacific Tsunami Warning Center called for "immediate action" against a tidal wave following the quake. "This earthquake has the potential to generate a widely destructive tsunami in the ocean or seas near the earthquake," it said in a warning bulletin.

However only a 10 cm. tsunami rolled into Australia's remote Cocos Island late tonight.

Japan's Meteorological Agency measured the quake at magnitude 8.5. The Hong Kong Observatory said the quake was centred about 410 km southwest of Banda Aceh in the Andean Sea.

A little over two hours after the first massive quake, a second one of 6.0 magnitude was recorded off the western coast of Sumatra. Eighteen minutes later there was a third one, measuring 5.2 on the Richter scale.

A Bangkok report said that Thailand's meteorological department issued a tsunami warning, urging the coastal residents in the South to evacuate, a top official said. "The quake's epicentre was close to the epicentre of the last one. It is possible that a tsunami might happen, so the warning has been issued for six provinces in the south to be careful," he added.

Evacuation in Malaysia

According to a report from Kuala Lumpur, the meteorological department advised people in the northwestern coastal areas to evacuate their homes after tremors from the earthquake in Indonesia rattled Malaysia tonight. "It is just a precaution. We fear a possible tsunami but we have not detected anything at the moment," an official said. "It is a strong earthquake. For those near the sea it is better to evacuate and move to higher ground."

Residents of the Penang island in the northwest said the tremors were similar to those felt on December 26 last year.

The tremors were also felt in the capital Kuala Lumpur, sending residents of hotels and high-rise buildings fleeing into the street. "I was sleeping and felt the bed shaking just after midnight," one woman who lives on the sixth floor of a downtown apartment block said.

At a glance

Undersea quake at a depth of 30 km
Many casualties feared in Indonesian island of Nias
Tremors felt in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Evacuation ordered in Sri Lanka
Jolt felt in Andamans

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