Tsunami Warnings Cancelled

Tsunami alerts have been cancelled for the two earthquakes off of Indonesia’s Aceh province.

After 8.6 and 8.2 magnitude earthquakes hit Wednesday morning, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and India’s coastal states were alerted for potential tsunamis. Many countries cancelled their warnings two hours later. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center stated “the threat has diminished or is over for most areas.”

[R.S. Dattreya, Director of Seismology at India Meteorological Department]: 

"Since it was an earthquake of great intensity, of 8.5 magnitude and its epicentre was off the west coast of northern Sumatra and because it was under the sea, there is a possibility that it can generate Tsunami."

The quakes, felt as far as Bangokok, sent residents around the Indian ocean into the streets. Tsunami warning sirens were heard in some area, as many people sought high ground.

[Bangalore city resident Santosh Kumar]: 

"I was sitting on the chair in my office and chair was shivering. I thought, above my head there was an AC (air conditioner) I thought the AC was shaking. Suddenly, the office people started running out. They were screaming and everybody was feeling that there is some earthquake happening. It happened at around 2:10 PM (local time) it was shaking for five-six minutes and some sounds were also coming."

The United States Geolo†gical Survey lists an 8.6 magnitude earthquake at 2:38 PM local time (8:38 AM UTC, 3:38 AM EST), 269 miles southwest of the Aceh province in Indonesia. Another 8.2 earthquake followed at 4:43 PM local time (10:43 AM UTC, 5:43 AM EST), 383 south-southwest of Sumatra.

They are listed at depths of 14.2 and 10.2 miles, respectively.

The region often gets hit by earthquakes. The 9.1 magnitude earthquake of 2004 and resulting tsunami killed an estimated 230,000 around the Indian Ocean, including 170,000 from the Aceh region.