Magnitude 7.3 quake strikes off coast of Indonesia

A powerful 7.3-magnitude earthquake struck the waters off the coast of western Indonesia early Wednesday, the U.S. Geological Survey said, prompting officials to issue a tsunami warning in the surrounding regions. However, there are no reports of any injuries or series damage, and the tsunami warning has since been lifted.

According to the USGS, the 7.3 quake struck 260 miles southwest off the coast of Banda Aceh at 12:37 a.m. local time on Wednesday (1:37 p.m. ET Tuesday) at a depth of 18.1 miles. Residents in Aceh reportedly fled their homes, and patients were evacuated from hospitals as a precaution.

“It was very strong,” said Darmili, district head in Seumele. “But so far we’re not hearing anything about injuries or real damage.”

CNN reports that hotel clerks on the coast of Indonesia experienced only mild shaking. One clerk told the network that no hotel guests were awakened, and only a few stepped outside when the quake hit.

A catastrophic 9.1 earthquake struck off the coast of northern Sumatra in December 2004, killing between 230,00 and 310,000 in over 14 countries, many of which were in Aceh.

Source: CNN