Indonesia: 7.3 earthquake triggers tsunami warning in Sumatra

Indonesia has issued a tsunami warning after a 7.3 magnitude earthquake struck off Aceh province.

The 7.3 magnitude quake struck 423 km (262 miles) south-west of Banda Aceh, Sumatra, the US Geological Survey (USGS) said.

The earthquake had a depth of 29.1 km (18.1 miles), according to USGS.

A giant earthquake struck off Indonesia in December 2004 triggered a tsunami in the Indian Ocean that killed some 230,000 people, half of them in Aceh.

An official with Indonesia’s geological agency, Arief Akhir, confirmed that a tsunami warning had been issued.

Indonesia is prone to seismic upheaval due to its location on the Pacific “Ring of Fire” – one of the most seismically active regions on earth.