Terrified workers flee for their lives as powerful 7-magnitude earthquake strikes off Indonesian island of Sumatra sparking 10ft tsunami warning
- A 7-magnitude earthquake has struck off coast of Indonesia’s Sumatra island
- Tremors were so powerful buildings in Jakarta swayed for one minute
- Residents on Banten coast told to ‘immediately evacuate to higher ground’
A tsunami warning has been issued after a 7-magnitude earthquake struck off the Indonesian coast today.
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 USGS said the earthquake had hit at a depth of 37 miles, about 141 miles from the city of Teluk Betung on the island
Residents stay outside of their high-rise building after the 7-magnitude earthquake struck
‘There are some areas at risk of a serious threat of a tsunami that could be as high as three metres,’ said disaster agency official Rahmat Triyono.
‘We’re still waiting for reports about damage’ from the quake, he added.
The agency said a tsunami could strike the Sunda Strait, between Java and Sumatra islands, where a December volcano-sparked tsunami killed over 400 people.
Office workers in Jakarta were sent running from their buildings as tremors swayed the capital for one minute
The Indonesian geophysics agency issued a tsunami warning after the quake
Residents stand outside an apartment block in Jakarta after a 7-magnitude earthquake strikes
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.
A newsroom in Jakarta is evacuated as tremors are felt from 7-magnitude earthquake in Indonesia
A newsroom in Jakarta is evacuated as tremors are felt from 7-magnitude earthquake in Indonesia
A newsroom in Jakarta is evacuated as tremors are felt from 7-magnitude earthquake in Indonesia
‘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.
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People at Indonesia’s Ultimate Soekarno Hatta International Airport on Java island evacuate the building after earthquake tremors felt
People at Indonesia’s Ultimate Soekarno Hatta International Airport were filmed running for the exit
There were scenes of chaos as flyers to and from the island of Java made a bid for the exit
There were no immediate reports of damage or casualties.
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A powerful 7 magnitude earthquake has struck off Indonesia ‘s island of Sumatra (file picture), the United States Geological Survey (USGS) said today