7.2-magnitude quake strikes Aceh, Indonesia, 6 injured
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An earthquake with a magnitude of 7.2 rocked Aceh province in western part of Indonesia on Wednesday morning, the country's Meteorology and Geophysics Agency reported.
At least six people were injured in the strong earthquake in Aceh province, which struck at 5:15 a.m. Jakarta time Wednesday (2215 GMT Tuesday) with the epicenter at 75 km southeast of Sinabang of the province and at a depth of 34 km.
The quake was also felt at nearby province of North Sumatra
Tsunami warning was issued soon following the earthquake, but was lifted by the agency later.
The intensity of the quake was felt at 4 to 5 MMI (Modified Mercally Intensity) at Meulaboh of Aceh, 4 MMI in Padang Sidempuan, 3 to 4 MMI in Sibolga and Tarutung of North Sumatra province, the official said.
Four aftershocks at moderate magnitudes were recorded.
The earthquake caused panic among local residents. In Sibolga, people living near coastal areas rushed to higher ground for fear of tsunami, a resident reported to Metro TV.
The U.S. Geological Survey initially reported the earthquake at a magnitude of 7.8 and later revised it to 7.7.
Thailand also issued tsunami warning following the strong earthquake in Indonesia. The National Disaster Warning Center warned people in coastal areas to evacuate to a safe place, saying there was a high risk of a tsunami on the Andaman Coast. The warning was canceled later.
Indonesia sits on the Pacific "Ring of Fire," where the meeting of continental tectonic plates causes high volcanic and seismic activity.
A 7.6-magnitude earthquake jolted the port of Padang, western Sumatra in September 2009, killing more than 1,100 people and leaving an estimated half a million homeless.
A magnitude-9 earthquake off Sumatra's coast in 2004 triggered a tsunami that killed more than 230,000 people in a dozen countries, most of them in Indonesia.
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