7.5 quake in Indonesia

File photo / Jim Eagles

JAKARTA - A powerful earthquake hit off western Indonesia late Monday, local time, briefly triggering a tsunami warning that sent thousands of panicked residents fleeing to high ground. There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.

The 7.5-magnitude temblor struck at a depth of 15 kilometres off Sumatra island, said the US Geological Survey.

Australia's Channel Seven reported that a huge wave 'trashed' Marconis Surf Resort on the Mentawi Islands off the West Sumatran coast.

Two surf charter boats collided, with one catching fire. No injuries were reported.

At least five towns in the provinces of Bengkulu and West Sumatra were badly jolted, officials and witnesses said, as were the nearby Mentawai islands.

"Every was running out of their houses," said Sofyan Alawi, a resident in the city of Padang, adding that roads leading to surrounding hills were quickly jammed with cars and motorcycles.

"We kept looking back to see if a wave was coming," said 28-year-old resident Ade Syahputra.

There were no immediate reports of damage or casualties after the 9:42 p.m. (0342 NZT) quake, said Ade Edward, a disaster management agency official, adding that the area was still on alert for aftershocks.

Indonesia, the world's largest archipelago, is prone to earthquakes and volcanic activity due to its location on the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire.

The city of Padang was badly shaken one year ago by a 7.6-magnitude quake that killed at least 700 people and flattened or severely damaged 180,000 buildings.

That followed the 2004 tsunami off Sumatra's westernmost province of Aceh that was triggered by a 9.1-magnitude quake and killed 230,000 in a dozen countries, roughly half in Indonesia.

- AP