Strong earthquakes in Indonesia cause a tsunami of 3m high

A 8.2-magnitude earthquake happened off Indonesia's Sumatra island, causing tsunami warnings across the Indian Ocean. Nearly 3m high tsunami hit Padang town, about 20 minutes after the earthquake.

There are reports of collapsing buildings in the towns of Sumatra's west coast. At least 7 people were killed and more than 100 injured in three towns in Sumatra. Many buildings were damaged.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center broadcast tsunami alert to the entire Indian Ocean after the earthquake, warning that tsunamis could hit Indonesia and Australia within an hour and Sri Lanka and India. Degree within three hours.

The earthquake occurred at 1810 (Hanoi time), at a depth of 15km under the sea, about 100km southwest of Bengkulu city. This was the strongest earthquake in Indonesia since the 2004 Asian tsunami earthquake and occurred at a shallow depth of danger.

A collapsed building in Padang (Photo: Reuters)

Following the earthquake was a series of aftershocks with the strongest aftershocks of 6.6 Richter scale, causing a second tsunami alarm for Indonesia. Residents in Bengkulu said the earthquake caused panic and people fled deep into the land. Electricity and telephone communication are cut off.

The earthquakes on this scale are rare and memories of the 2004 tsunami have made the country fearful of repetition. Indonesia, located in the Pacific volcanic belt, is often shaken by earthquakes.

The tremor was also felt in Jakarta, where office workers rushed down the stairs when the buildings shook. Some people in high-rise buildings in Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand also felt the earthquake.

Malaysia, Sri Lanka and India immediately asked people to stay away from the Indian Ocean coast.

Some pictures recorded from the earthquake

Minh Son