CNN : Major quake hits western Indonesia
(CNN) -- A major earthquake shook western Indonesia on Wednesday afternoon, the U.S. Geological Survey reported.
The magnitude 7.5 quake's epicenter was about 195 miles (315 km), south-southeast of Banda Aceh, on the Indonesian island of Sumatra, the USGS said on its Web site.
A 2004 earthquake near Banda Aceh killed hundreds of thousands of people. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Hawaii issued a local tsunami watch for the area -- normal protocol in such instances.
It is up to local governments to issue tsunami warnings. There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage, according to Indonesian national radio.
The December 26, 2004 earthquake registered 9.0 -- the strongest quake in 40 years -- and was centered about 100 miles from Banda Aceh.
The 2004 quake caused a tsunami that affected the entire Indian Ocean, leaving more than 300,000 people dead or still listed as missing, according to accumulated information from government and health officials, compiled by the United Nations.http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/02/20/indonesia.quake/index.html
