Strong quake strikes off Indonesia's Sumatra

0 Comments | AFP, October, 2007

JAKARTA (AFP) — A strong earthquake measuring 7.0 struck off the coast of Indonesia's Sumatra island on Thursday, briefly triggering panic and a tsunami alert, the Indonesia meteorological agency said.

The quake struck in the Indian Ocean about 135 kilometres (84 miles) off the town of Bengkulu at 4:02 am (2102 GMT Wednesday), at a depth of 10 kilometres (six miles), the agency said.

The US Geological Survey measured the quake at 7.1.

The earthquake rattled the same area hit last month by a massive 8.4-magnitude quake and a multitude of aftershocks that left 23 people dead.

Bengkulu resident Titi Radiah told AFP that "everyone ran out of their houses."

"I was awakened by the jolt and ran out taking my baby," she said, adding that in her...