Indian Ocean quake causes panic

Last Updated: Monday, 28 March, 2005, 19:22 GMT 20:22 UK
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Indian Ocean quake causes panic
A major earthquake in the Indian Ocean has hit the coast of the Indonesian island of Sumatra, just over three months after last year's tsunami.

It struck just before midnight local time, with an estimated magnitude of 8.2, and caused widespread panic.

But three hours after the tremor, officials across the region said fears of another major tsunami were receding.

There were unconfirmed reports of dozens killed by the tremor on the Indonesian island of Nias.

The quake struck between the Sumatran cities of Padang and Medan at around 2315 local time (1615 GMT) and lasted up to three minutes, according to Indonesia's Meteorological and Geophysics Office.

Its epicentre was located at about 200km (125 miles) off the Sumatran mainland.

Most people were in bed at the time and there were no immediate reports of damage, says the BBC's Tim Johnstone in the Indonesian capital, Jakarta.

Reports from Banda Aceh say thousands came out into the streets, fearful of collapsing houses, while an official quoted by Reuters news agency spoke of "dozens" killed on the island of Nias.

Communications were swamped, although some mobile phone messages were getting through.

'Neighbours screaming'

The 26 December tsunami caused major damage and killed tens of thousands of people in states across the region.

Russ Evans, a seismologist from the British Geological Survey, told the BBC that Monday's tremor quake was almost certainly an after-shock of the earlier quake, which had a magnitude of 9.

The quake was felt across the region with people in the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur, some 500km away, evacuating high-rise buildings and running out into the streets.

"I was getting ready for bed, and suddenly, the room started shaking," said Kuala Lumpur resident Jessie Chong.

"I thought I was hallucinating at first, but then I heard my neighbours screaming and running out."

Thailand and India, badly hit by the 26 December disaster, issued tsunami alerts while Sri Lanka evacuated coastal areas.

However, Thai officials later told local television the threat of a tsunami appeared to have passed.

Indonesian and Indian officials echoed the comments, saying there were no reports of a tsunami developing.

anyone see the coincidence that first one happend christmas next day and second one now easter next day.....?

I hope we dont have to see same effect again

it's only a coincidence if you are christian. For the rest of the world it is just a day like any other.

Do u think i dont know that or u think i'm from christan country??

I'm curious how easter is always on a sunday, rather innacurate, as isn't supposed to be a celebration of your saviour rising from the dead or something, shouldn't it be a fixed date?

well, if you know that, why would you think it is a co-incidence???

that totally differernt topic

cool u actually though i didn't know it lol. So u wanted me to post like dear christans don;t u think its co-incidence??

what difference does it make? It is just as arbitrary a date as any other religious holiday, but if you are bored or really curious: http://users.chariot.net.au/~gmarts/easter.htm

BANDA ACEH, Indonesia - A powerful earthquake struck off Indonesia’s west coast late Monday, killing scores of people whose homes collapsed on them and spreading panic across the Indian Ocean that another killer tsunami was on the way. Indonesia’s vice president predicted up to 2,000 deaths.

But fears of a second tsunami catastrophe in just over three months eased within hours, as officials in countries at risk reported their coasts clear of the type of quake-spawned waves that ravaged a dozen countries in Asia and Africa on Dec. 26.

Almost all the deaths reported in the hours immediately after Monday’s quake were on Indonesia’s Nias island, off Sumatra’s west coast, which was close to the epicenter. Police were pulling bodies of children out of the rubble of collapsed houses, and a fire was reportedly raging in one town.

“It is predicted — and it’s still a rough estimate — that the number ... of dead may be between 1,000 and 2,000,” Vice President Jusuf Kalla told the el-Shinta radio station. He said the estimate was based on an assessment of damage to buildings, not bodies counted.

Other estimates varied. A district official in the town of Gunungsitoli said about 300 had died there, while Indonesia’s information minister said between 100 and 200 had died.

Two people were also killed in Sri Lanka during a panicky evacuation from the coast in a Tamil rebel-held area, authorities said.

The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake struck about 19 miles under the seabed, some 155 miles south-southeast of Banda Aceh, the capital of Aceh province on Sumatra island. It was centered just 110 miles southeast of December’s 9.0-magnitude temblor — the world’s most powerful in 40 years.

Monday’s wallop, although very powerful, was but a fraction of the earlier quake. In explosive power, December’s quake was equal to 100 million pounds of TNT; it caused the seabed to spring up as much as 60 feet.