A powerful magnitude 7 earthquake struck off Indonesia's island of Sumatra on Friday, prompting authorities to issue a tsunami warning and to order people to evacuate their homes.
The quake hit about 227 km (141 miles) from the city of Teluk Betung on the island at a depth of 59 km (37 miles). In the aftermath Indonesian authorities warned that the tsunami could reach as high as three meters (10 feet). However the warning was lifted within a few hours as it became clear that the threat would not materialize.
As well as the tsunami warning the country’s Disaster Mitigation Agency said that residents on the Banten coast of Java island should “immediately evacuate to higher ground”.
The US Geological Survey and the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre both initially reported that the quake was greater than magnitude 7 before later revising their readings down to 6.8. However, the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysical Agency of Indonesia has maintained that it had a magnitude of 7.4.
The quake unleashed a series of strong tremors which prompted panicked people to flee from buildings in the capital, Jakarta. There were no immediate reports of damage or casualties.
Social media was flooded with eyewitness videos of the aftermath of the quake as residents fled the area.
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