Indonesia expects tsunami after powerful quake

Indonesia issued a tsunami warning on Monday after a powerful quake struck off the western coast of Sumatra island.

Photo: Indonesia expects tsunami after powerful quake

The quake, which had a preliminary magnitude of 7.2, was centered in the Indian Ocean around 156 kilometers (96 miles) from the coastal town of Bengkulu, Indonesia's geophysics agency said in a statement.

Residents in Bengkulu told el-Shinta radio station they felt the quake strongly, but that it did not appear to have caused major damage in the region, which late Sunday was also hit by a strong quake.

The geophysics agency issued a tsunami bulletin following the quake.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center also warned the coastal communities around Bengkulu may be at risk of large waves.

Indonesia does not have equipment to measure changes in sea level that would indicate an actual tsunami was on its way. Agencies routinely issue warnings after shallow offshore quakes with a magnitude of 6.5 or above strike.

Indonesia, which straddles a series of active fault lines, is prone to seismic and volcanic activity. A giant earthquake along the same coast spawned the large tsunami that killed more than 230,000 people in a number of countries in December 2004.