Tsunami fear after massive earthquake

[Jason]

A massive 8.2 magnitude earthquake has struck off the coast of Sumatra close to where a quake triggered a tsunami that left nearly 300,000 people dead or missing across Asia, residents and officials said.



The latest quake had the potential to cause a "widely destructive tsunami" and authorities should take "immediate action," including evacuating coastlines within 600 miles (1,000 km) of the epicentre, the Pacific tsunami warning centre said.

Malaysia urged residents along parts of its west coast to evacuate to higher areas.

Thailand, India and Sri Lanka also immediately issued tsunami warnings in coastal areas. Sirens were ringing in the eastern Sri Lankan town of Trincomalee, residents said.

A spokesman for the U.S. Geological Survey told Reuters the quake struck 125 miles (200 km) west northwest of Sibolga, Sumatra or 880 miles northwest of the Indonesian capital of Jakarta at 5.09 p.m. British time on Monday, close to where the 9.0 magnitude quake struck in December.

Tens of thousands of people ran out of their homes in many parts of Sumatra, and in Singapore and Malaysia. But there were no immediate reports of casualties.

"It was very strong," said a telephone operator in the Sumatran city of Medan, in western Indonesia. "We all ran out of the building."

An NGO official in Banda Aceh, the town worst hit by the December 26 tsunami, sent out a telephone message saying thousands of people fled their homes and headed for higher ground after feeling what he described as "a very damn big earthquake".

Panic spread in many areas along the west coast of Malaysia, the Bernama news agency said. "It felt stronger than on December 26," said Arumugam Gopal, a resident of the town of Penang.

U.S. Geological Survey spokesman Don Blakeman said Monday's quake was considered a "great earthquake" because it was larger than a magnitude 8. He said it was an aftershock from December's temblor but was a "very serious earthquake in its own right".

But the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre said the quake had the "potential to generate a widely destructive tsunami in the ocean or seas near the earthquake". "Authorities can assume the danger has passed if no tsunami waves are observed in the region near the epicentre within three hours of the earthquake," it added.

Not another one!!

[jaseyboy]

oh my god...... not again!!! same place again

[Jason]

LATEST NEWS!!

There were no signs of a tsunami up to three and a half hours after the 5:09 p.m., but it killed dozens of people and destroyed hundreds of homes in Gunungsitoli, the main town on Indonesia's Nias island, a local official told Metro TV.

"I can guarantee that dozens have died," Agus Mendrofa, the deputy mayor of the town, said by telephone.

"Gunungsitoli is now like a dead town. The situation here is in extreme panic."

A senior police officer told Reuters he had seen three dead bodies and that many others were trapped in damaged buildings.

"The earthquake was massive, it's still shaking now," said A. Nainggolan, the deputy police chief in Gunungsitoli.

Nias, off the western coast of Sumatra and about 1,400 km (870 miles) northwest of Jakarta, is a remote and rugged island famed as a surfing paradise.

The Pacific tsunami warning centre said the quake had the potential to cause a "widely destructive tsunami" and authorities should take "immediate action," including evacuating coastlines within 600 miles (1,000 km) of the epicentre.

One official said any possible tsunami could be headed toward the Indian Ocean island of Mauritius.

But the centre added: "Authorities can assume the danger has passed if no tsunami waves are observed in the region near the epicentre within three hours of the earthquake."

[wayneyboy1942]

Lets hope it's not as bad as boxingday! We'll know more in the morning.

[silverscrim]

very very sad hope its not too bad

[grannyclaret]

is it a coincidence,,it was xmas week ,and now its easter week ,,SPOOKEY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

[takersbabe]

damn!! those poor people

[jellytot]

i feel really sorry for them, i hope that there luck inproves, poor people!

[snowy]

I saw a documentary on tv last week regarding the aid and money for the victims. There are about 169 different groups out there to give aid (food,clothing,and rebuilding). The aid groups were fighting with each other to give help in the most visible parts of the disaster where all the tv and news media were located,yet 2 hours down the road,where people were starving,nobody was there to give aid because the publicity was not there.
Canada has offered $200 million dollars but up to the present nobdy has come forward to say where the money should be spent! Most of the aid groups are competing against each other for the publicity.Their way of thinking is more publicity you get, the more money you will get in the future. After watching what was happening,it made me very suspicious about which groups to donate to in the future. One aid group had nearly completed repairs to a small hospital when another group came along,kicked them out, and said they would take over. Bl...dy disgraceful.

[Jason]

LATEST

Up to 2,000 people are feared dead after a powerful earthquake rocked Indonesia - the same area devastated by the tsunami disaster in December.

A massive rescue operation is still under way after the quake, measuring 8.7 on the Richter scale, struck off the main island of Sumatra.

The tiny island of Nias of the coast of Sumatra bore the brunt of the quake and suffered the highest number of casualties.

Officials said around 70 per cent of the buildings there had been destroyed.

The tremor struck at about midnight local time and spreading terror across western Indonesia, Sri Lanka and coastal parts of India, Malaysia and Thailand.

As news of the quake emerged, authorities were warned to take "immediate action," including evacuating coastlines within 600 miles of the epicentre - 880 miles northwest of Jakarta and around 100 miles southeast of where the 9.3 magnitude Boxing Day quake hit.

But there are no signs of a tsunami and alerts have been withdrawn in most areas.

[Jason]

Rescuers have found a man alive under the rubble days after a giant earthquake rocked Indonesia.

The search party discovered the man as they reached thousands of homeless and hungry victims on remote islands of the country's Sumatra region.


The teams scrambled to free the man from under a partially destroyed three-storey house on Nias Island after hearing his cries for help.

A rescuer said: "The man was saying 'Help, help, give me water'."

Rescue teams had called off their search in Nias but the man's family had persisted and employed labourers to dig through his house.

After a seven-hour operation Hendra Ho Keng, 42, was stretchered off for treatment as his family wept for joy.

Rescuer Omar Flores said: "It's a miracle, it's a miracle. I can't believe what is happening in my heart and mind right now."

The survivor's brother Kok Ciong said: "We had given up hope. Look, we had even provided coffins."

The man had been buried with his wife and children, who are presumed dead.

Thousands of people have been made homeless and hundreds killed by the 8.7 magnitude earthquake which struck on Monday.

The quake devastated the islands of Nias, Banyak and Simeulue, which were already recovering from the Boxing Day tsunami disaster.