Magnitude 7.1 Earthquake Strikes Off Sumatra's Coast (Update1)
By Emma O'Brien

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?sid=aiZml_RID3Qo&pid=20601080


Oct. 25 (Bloomberg) -- A magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck west of the Indonesian island of Sumatra today, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said the quake may cause a local tsunami.
The earthquake occurred at 4:02 a.m. local time, 135 kilometers (84 miles) from the town of Bengkulu on Sumatra at a depth of 30 kilometers, the USGS said an e-mailed alert. The epicenter was 655 kilometers south-southwest of Singapore. There were no immediate reports of damage or casualties.
``A destructive widespread tsunami threat does not exist,'' the Warning Center said. ``However, there is a possibility of a local tsunami that could affect coasts located usually no more than 100 kilometers from the earthquake epicenter.''
Indonesia lies in a zone where four tectonic plates meet. These plates constantly shift, sometimes causing earthquakes that can produce tsunamis. The area has been rattled by hundreds of tremors since an 8.4 magnitude quake, the world's strongest in 2 1/2 years, struck offshore from Sumatra on Sept. 12, leaving at least 23 people dead.
The Japan Meteorological Agency said in an e-mail statement there is a ``very small possibility of a destructive local tsunami'' in the Indian Ocean.
A quake off the coast of Aceh in northern Sumatra in December 2004 caused a tsunami that devastated coastal communities in countries across the Indian Ocean, killing more than 220,000 people.
To contact the reporter on this story: Emma O'Brien in Wellington on eobrien6@bloomberg.net

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