BANDA ACEH, Indonesia – A major earthquake struck lateMonday off the west coast of Indonesia,and a local government official said 296 people were killed in collapsedbuildings. Thousands panicked in countries across the Indian Ocean as tsunami warnings were posted.
Fears ofanother catastrophe similar to December’s devastating tsunami eased withinhours, as officials in countries closest to the quake’s epicenter said therewere no reports of big waves striking their coasts after the temblor wasreported.
Early reports of damage andcasualties were confined to the island of Nias, off the Sumatrancoast, close to the epicenter.
The quake collapsed about70 percent of houses and buildings in the town of Gunungsitoli, said police Sgt. ZulkifliSirait.
Agus Mendrofa, deputydistrict head on Nias island, told el-Shinta radio station that 296 people werekilled. He said this figure was based on reports from humanitarian workers onthe island.
“We still cannot countthe number of casualties or the number of collapsed building because it is darkhere,” Sirait said in a telephone interview. “It is possible thathundreds of people trapped in the collapsed buildings died.”
Nias, a renowned surfingspot, was badly hit by the 9.0 earthquake and subsequent tsunami on Dec. 26that killed at least 175,000 people in 12 Indian Oceannations and left another 106,000 missing. At least 340 residents of Niasperished and 10,000 were left homeless.
The U.S.Geological Survey said Monday’s quake, which occurred at 11:09 p.m.local time (11:09 a.m. EST), measured a magnitude of 8.2. A later reading putthe magnitude at 8.7, said Paul Earle, a USGSgeophysicist.
A tsunami warning wasissued in Thailand and Sri Lanka,although officials later canceled it. The only tsunami reported within fourhours was a tiny one