A powerful earthquake struck off Indonesia's west coast late Monday, killing hundreds of people whose homes collapsed on them and spreading panic across the Indian Ocean that another killer tsunami was on the way. Indonesia's vice president predicted up to 2,000 deaths.

But fears of a second tsunami catastrophe in just over three months eased within hours, as officials in countries at risk reported their coasts clear of the type of quake-spawned waves that ravaged a dozen countries in Asia and Africa on Dec. 26.

All of the deaths reported in the hours immediately after Monday's quake were on Indonesia's Nias island, off Sumatra's west coast, which was close to the epicenter.

In one town, Gunungsitoli, about 70 percent of buildings had collapsed in the market district, officials said.

"Hundreds of buildings have been damaged or have collapsed," said Agus Mendrofa, the island's deputy district head. He told el-Shinta radio station that at least 296 people had died in Gunungsitoli.

Nias, a renowned surfing spot, was badly hit on Dec. 26, when at least 340 residents were killed and 10,000 were left homeless.

The US Geological Survey measured Monday's quake at magnitude 8.7 and said its epicenter was 155 miles south-southeast of Banda Aceh, the capital of Aceh province on Sumatra island.

The quake struck just 110 miles southwest of the 9.0-magnitude temblor of Dec. 26. The earlier quake and the tsunami it triggered killed at least 175,000 people in 12 Indian Ocean nations and left another 106,000 missing.

On Monday, panic spread and sirens sounded as authorities issues tsunami alerts for six countries after the quake struck at 11:06 PM as many people were sleeping.

Women clutching children ran into the darkened streets of Banda Aceh, crying and chanting "Allahu Akbar," or "God is Great." Others grabbed small bags of clothes and fled their tents and homes for higher ground.

Another man rushed instead to the local mosque, saying "Where can I go, you can't outrun a tsunami."
 
The quake lasted two minutes and briefly cut electricity. Thousands poured into the streets, where flickering camp-fires and motorbike and car headlights provided the only lighting.

People grabbed small bags of clothes as they fled their tents and homes. Many were crying and jumping into cars and onto motorbikes and pedicabs to head for higher ground. Two women wearing prayer shawls and sarongs grabbed a fence to steady themselves.

"People are still traumatized, still scared, they are running for higher ground," said Feri, a 24-year-old aid volunteer who goes by one name.

Panic gripped at least one relief camp in Banda Aceh. An Associated Press photographer saw thousands fleeing their tents — but with nowhere to go, they milled in crowds along the road.

Police with megaphones asked people not to panic and return to their tents. After a while, many started moving back.

In Malaysia, residents fled their shaking apartments and hotels.

"I was getting ready for bed, and suddenly, the room started shaking," said Jessie Chong, a resident of the largest city, Kuala Lumpur. "I thought I was hallucinating at first, but then I heard my neighbors screaming and running out."

Preliminary indications were that energy from Monday's quake might be directed toward the southwest, said Frank Gonzalez, an oceanographer with the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration in Seattle.

The only tsunami reported was a tiny one — 10 inches — at the Cocos Islands, 1,400 miles west of Australia. No damage was reported.

"It seems this earthquake did not trigger a tsunami. If it had, the tsunami would have hit the coastline of Sumatra by now," said Prihar Yadi, a scientist with the Indonesia Geophysics Agency. "And if there's no tsunami on the coastline near the epicenter of the quake, there will not be one heading in the other direction."

Nevertheless, US State Department deputy spokesman Adam Ereli said US diplomatic missions in Asia and Africa went into "battle mode" to respond quickly to any contingency. Authorities worldwide had been slow to recognize the magnitude of the Dec. 26 disaster.

Japan's Meteorological Agency reportedly notified six Indian Ocean countries — Thailand, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, the Maldives and Malaysia — about a possible tsunami.

Officials said after the December disaster that a tsunami early warning system could have saved many lives. Such a system exists in the Pacific but has not been established in the Indian Ocean. Japan and the United States had planned to start providing tsunami warnings to countries around the Indian Ocean this month as a stopgap measure until the region establishes its own alert system.

Two aftershocks — one measuring 6.0 and another measuring 6.7 — were reported in the same region late Monday and early Tuesday, the US Geological Survey said.

The quake was felt as far away as Singapore and the Thai capital, Bangkok, more than 435 miles from the epicenter.

Warning sirens blared along Sri Lanka's east coast, the government urged people to evacuate immediately to higher ground, and all-night trains traveling along the coast were suspended.

The Sri Lankan military was put on full alert and several naval ships were monitoring the coast, said military spokesman Brig. Daya Ratnayake. Fishermen at sea were warned not to return to shore.

President Chandrika Kumaratunga called an emergency meeting at her home with Cabinet members and went on state television to assure the country "we are taking all precautionary measures."

On Dec. 26, the tsunami crashed onto coastlines in Indonesia's Aceh province within 45 minutes of the massive earthquake hitting offshore, but Sri Lanka was hit several hours later after the waves traveled the breadth of the Indian Ocean.

In Malaysia, panicked residents of Kuala Lumpur and Penang fled their apartments and hotels after authorities activated fire alarms. Police evacuated low-lying coastal areas of the northern states of Penang and Kedah.

At the biggest refugee camp in Banda Aceh, people milled around the streets near the local television network, known as TVRI. Others huddled around television sets in cafes for news.

After some time, a voice on the camp intercom announced that people could return to their tents and that there was no tsunami.

Television images later showed a man yelling into a megaphone. This time, the man shouted, there was no tsunami. People could go back to their homes.

(Chinadaily.com.cn via agencies March 29, 2005)