“A major earthquake struck south-west of the Mentawai islands in West Sumatra on Wednesday evening, triggering a tsunami warning and sending people running for higher ground.
“However, the Indonesian Agency for Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics (BMKG) later confirmed the tsunami warning, which was triggered by the earthquake measuring 7.8 on the Richter Scale, had ended several hours later.
“An Australian tsunami warning for the Western Australian coastline, Cocos Island and Christmas Island has also been cancelled, with the main tsunami waves having now passed.
“Indonesia had been braced for disaster after the tsunami warning was issued. The 2004 Boxing Day tsunami – one of the deadliest natural disasters in history – also began with an earthquake off of Sumatra.
“However the National Disaster Management Agency has issued a statement saying the people of Mentawai are safe.”
Read more at Sydney Morning Herald
