7.2-magnitude quake hits Indonesia, tsunami warning issued

JAKARTA - A 7.2-magnitude quake struck off Indonesia's Sumatra island on Monday, sparking a tsunami alert, the geophysics and meteorology agency said, but there were no immediate reports of damage.

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.

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 province lying at the northern tip of Sumatra island.

In neighbouring Singapore, tremors were felt in Robinson Road, Sembawang, Jalan Sultan, Toa Payoh and Pioneer Road. MediaCorp's hotline received several calls informing it of tremors in these areas.

Source: Channel NewsAsia