A 7-magnitude earthquake struck off the Indonesian coast today sparking a brief tsunami warning which has since been lifted.
Tremors were so powerful buildings in the capital Jakarta swayed for one minute while terrified residents fled from their homes.
The powerful earthquake hit off Indonesia’s island of Sumatra at 19.03 pm (1203 GMT), the United States Geological Survey (USGS) said today.
Indonesia’s disaster agency warned the earthquake could spark a tsunami as high as three metres (10ft). The warning has since been lifted.
‘The early tsunami warning has ended,’ the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysical Agency said in a brief statement.
The country’s disaster agency had previously warned the earthquake could spark a tsunami as high as three metres (10ft).
A volcano-sparked tsunami struck the Sunda Strait, between Java and Sumatra islands, in December, killing over 400 people.
The USGS initially put the quake’s magnitude at 6.8 before raising its intensity.
Indonesia’s disaster agency pegged the quake at magnitude 7.4.
Authorities have urged those living near the coast to move to higher ground.
The USGS said the quake had hit at a depth of 37 miles, about 141 miles from the city of Teluk Betung on the island.
Office workers in Jakarta were sent running from their high-rise buildings as tremors swayed the capital for one minute.
The USGS said the quake had hit at a depth of 37 miles, about 141 miles from the city of Teluk Betung on the island.
Office workers in Jakarta were sent running from their high-rise buildings as tremors swayed the capital for one minute.
‘The chandelier in my apartment was shaking and I just ran from the 19th floor,’ 50-year-old Elisa told AFP.
‘Everybody else ran too. It was a really strong jolt and I was very scared.’
Indonesia’s disaster mitigation agency said on its Twitter feed that residents on the Banten coast should ‘immediately evacuate to higher ground’.
There were no immediate reports of damage or casualties.
