Magnitude 7.4 earthquake rattles western Indonesia

An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 7.4 rattled Indonesia's North Sumatra province today, prompting a brief local tsunami watch, knocking out power and damaging some homes, officials said.

The US Geological Survey said the afternoon quake hit 135 miles (220 kilometers) southeast of Banda Aceh at a depth at 38 miles (61 kilometers). Indonesia and the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Honolulu issued a tsunami watch for the area, but both canceled their warnings less than 90 minutes later.

Fauzi, chief of Indonesia's meteorology agency, said the closest town to the epicenter was Meulaboh, where a small "tsunami wave" just 7.9 inches (20 centimeters) high was detected by a buoy off the coast.

Fauzi, who like many Indonesians uses only one name, said the official tsunami watch had been cancelled.

Local media reports said the quake caused panic in many parts of Aceh — which was hit hard by the earthquake that triggered the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami that killed 230,000 people — and in neighboring North Sumatra province.

Lt. Col. Widodo, chief of West Aceh police in Meulaboh, told MetroTV that many residents remained outside in the streets for fear of another quake.

"But up until now, there is no indication of damages or casualties," said Widodo.

Riswan, local government secretary on Simeulue island, said the quake damaged some houses and caused a power outage, but phones were still working.

Indonesia rests on a series of fault lines that make the archipelago nation one of the most world's most earthquake-prone. A quake last year killed more than 1,000 people on Sumatra, but a 7.7 quake last month in the same area caused only minor damage.