Indonesia Earthquake 2012: Magnitude 8.7 quake triggers tsunami alert

Indonesia Earthquake Map, April 11, 2012

An 8.7-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Indonesia on Wednesday, April 11, prompting officials to issue a tsunami warning for the whole Indian Ocean.

"Earthquakes of this size have the potential to generate a widespread destructive tsunami that can affect coastlines across the entire Indian Ocean basin," the United States Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said.

According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the epicenter of the quake was recorded at 434 km (269 miles) southwest of Banda Aceh, Sumatra, Indonesia. At a depth of 20.5 miles (33 km), the temblor hit the area at 2:38 p.m. (8:38 UTC).

"People are in a panic, and there are traffic jams everywhere in Banda Aceh," local Metro TV reported.

In 2004, Indonesia's Banda Aceh was struck by a magnitude 9.1 quake which sent huge tsunami waves that killed 230,000 people in 13 Indian Ocean countries, including Thailand, Sri Lanka and India.