7.8 Earthquake Shakes Sumatra

People watch the sea level at Pusong coast of Aceh Indonesia after an earthquake with strength of 7.8 on the Richter scale hit Sumatra Wednesday. Photo by BGNES

An earthquake with a magnitude of 7.8 hit the Indonesian island of Sumatra Wednesday, BBC reports.

The quake's epicenter was 204km (127 miles) northwest of Sibolga on Sumatra's coast, at a depth of nearly 48km, the US Geological Survey informs.

Three aftershocks were reported in the northern province of Aceh, however there are no reports of casualties. A tsunami alert has been issued but it is already lifted. Thai authorities also warned people in coastal areas to evacuate to a safe place.

The Japan's Kyodo news agency informs about blackouts in Medan and Banda Aceh, the capital of Aceh Province while local television reported that people rushed to higher ground in some areas.

Indonesia has recently been struck by string of quakes; one off Sumatra in September killed more than 1,000 people.

In December 2004, a 9.1 magnitude quake off the coast of Aceh triggered a tsunami in the Indian Ocean that killed quarter of a million people in 13 countries including Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India and Thailand.

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