(Alert) Tsunami Warning Off Indonesia’s Sumatra

A strong earthquake shook the Indonesian island of Sumatra on Wednesday, screens in the U.S. and Indonesia reported, making even the Indian Ocean tsunami warning. The volume was 8.7, according to the measurements changed U.S. Geological Survey and struck 431 kilometers (268 miles) from the Indonesian city of Banda Aceh.

The city was near the epicenter of the devastating earthquake of 9.1 scale in 2004 that triggered the Indian Ocean tsunami that killed 220,000 people, including 170,000 in Aceh. The latest quake was felt as far away as Thailand and southern India. People in Banda Aceh, said the ground shook violently. "People were in panic and traffic jams everywhere in Banda Aceh," local Metro TV.

"There is a possibility that the tsunami in the Aceh region of five provinces - North Sumatra, West Sumatra, Bengkulu and Lampung," said Marzuki, Indonesia analyst Geophysics and Meteorological Agency. U.S. monitors issued throughout the Indian Ocean tsunami warning, but said he still had a huge wave was generated.

"Earthquakes of this size have the potential to generate a destructive tsunami, wide, that may affect the coast across the Indian Ocean Basin," said U.S. Warning Center.