Massive 7.8 quake hits Sumatra in Indonesia
06/04/2010 7:23:01 PM
CTV.ca News Staff
A 7.8-magnitude earthquake has struck the northern part of the island of Sumatra in Indonesia, according to the U.S. Geological Survey, triggering a tsunami watch for the immediate area.
The quake struck at 5:15 a.m. local time, the USGS said. Its epicentre was about 205 kilometres northwest of Sibolga, on Sumatra, and 1,425 km northwest of Jakarta.
The agency said the quake's depth measured 46 kilometres.
There were no immediate reports of damage, however Japan's Kyodo news agency reported blackouts in Medan and Banda Aceh, the capital of Aceh Province.
A tsunami watch is in effect for Indonesia, according to a bulletin issued by the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center.
However, the PTWC said it does not believe the quake has the potential to cause a massive tsunami like the one that swept across the Indian Ocean in December 2004.
"A destructive widespread tsunami threat does not exist based on historical earthquake and tsunami data," it said.
The PTWC posted only a local tsunami watch, saying there could be destructive tidal waves within about 100 kilometres of the quake's epicentre.
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