Aceh quakes spark tsunami alert

11 April 2012 Last updated at 07:40 ET

The BBC's Karishma Vaswani in Jakarta says the roads in Banda Aceh are packed with people seeking higher ground

An Indian Ocean tsunami alert is in place after two huge quakes off the coast of Indonesia's Aceh province.

A quake with a magnitude of 8.6 triggered the initial warning, which was renewed after another quake a few hours later measuring 8.3.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC) has advised national authorities across the Indian Ocean region to "take appropriate action".

But there have been no immediate reports of damage or casualties.

The region is regularly hit by earthquakes. The Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004 killed 170,000 people in Aceh alone and some 250,000 around the region.

The US Geological Survey (USGS), which documents quakes worldwide, said the first Aceh quake was centred at a depth of 33km (20 miles), about 495km from Banda Aceh, the provincial capital.

The BBC's Karishma Vaswani in Jakarta says there were reports of the ground shaking for up to five minutes.

It was initially reported as 8.9 magnitude but was later revised down to 8.6 by the USGS. Quake officials said a tsunami had been generated and was heading for the coast of Aceh.

A later PTWC alert said that sea level readings indicated a tsunami was generated and that it "may already have been destructive along some coasts".

Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono had told reporters in the capital, Jakarta, that there had been no tsunami reports so far, "but we remain vigilant".

"Our warning system is working well, and I have ordered the national relief team to fly immediately to Aceh to ensure the situation is under control and to take any necessary action," he said.

A few hours later, the PTWC renewed its warning after a major aftershock measuring 8.3 struck 16km (10 miles) beneath the ocean floor and 615km from Banda Aceh. There were also reports of further aftershocks.

'Minute of chaos'

Sutopo, a spokesman for Indonesia's disaster mitigation agency, said electricity had been cut in Aceh and there were traffic jams to access higher ground.

"Sirens and Koran recitals from mosques are everywhere," he told Reuters.

Tremors were felt as far away as Singapore, Thailand, Sri Lanka and India.

"There was a tremor felt by all of us working in the building," a man called Vincent in Calcutta, India, told the BBC.

"All just ran out of the building and people were asked not to use the elevator. There was a minute of chaos where all started ringing up to their family and asking about their well-being."

The Thai office of disaster management said people along the coasts of Phuket, Phang Na and Andaman province should heed warnings and evacuate.

Tsunami warning sirens, set up in many vulnerable areas after the 2004 disaster, were heard in Phuket, where correspondents said people were calmly following evacuation routes to safe zones.

Indonesia straddles the Pacific Ring of Fire, a zone of major seismic activity.

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