Major quake strikes southwest of Indonesia

A strong magnitude-7.9 earthquake has struck off the west coast of the Indonesian island of Sumatra, with local authorities issuing a tsunami warning.

According to the reports, the US Geological Survey said the epicenter of Wednesday’s powerful quake was 808 km southwest of Padang, but it was shallow as it struck at a depth of 10 km.

According to early reports, the quake has killed some people, but it was not yet clear how many, an official of the country's search and rescue agency told Reuters.

"There are some who have died," said Heronimus Guru, the agency's deputy head of operations, without giving details.

Indonesia’s National Meteorological Agency said the tsunami alert was issued for parts of Sumatra, including West Sumatra, North Sumatra and Aceh.

USGS originally put the magnitude at 8.2, and then 8.1, before lowering it to 7.9.

There were no immediate reports of damage or casualties but the shallower a quake the more likely it is to cause damage.

SS