Strong quake hits Indonesia coast
By UsaydBreaking News
A major quake in the Indian Ocean has hit the coast of the Indonesian tsunami-hit island of Sumatra, triggering alerts across the region.
It struck just before midnight local time, with an estimated magnitude of 8.2, and caused widespread panic.
The epicentre was located at about 200 km (125 miles) off the mainland.
US monitors warned of a “widely destructive tsunami” and the quake was felt as far away as Malaysia.
Edit 29th March
Reports quoting Indonesian officials suggest at least 330 people were killed.
But Indonesia’s Vice-President Jusuf Kalla told the BBC “more than 1,000 people were possibly dead” in Nias alone.
Around 80% of buildings had been affected in Gunung Sitoli, Mr Kalla said.
Binahati Bahea, district chief of Gunung Sitoli, told the BBC the number of dead “will rise, because we have not managed to evacuate many buildings and there are many dead people there”.
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