A MAGNITUDE-8.7 earthquake has struck off the western coast of the Indonesian island of Sumatra, triggering a tsunami warning, the US Geological Survey reported.

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The earthquake struck at a depth of 33km, at a location about 495km southwest of Banda Aceh on the island of Sumatra.

An Indian Ocean-wide tsunami warning was put in place immediately following the quake, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said.



People on Twitter said tremors were felt in Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia and India. High-rise apartments and offices on Malaysia's west coast shook for at least a minute.



Sky News reported that evacuations were under way in Sumatra.



An Indian Ocean-wide tsunami watch was put in place immediately following the quake, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said.



According to the Joint Australian Tsunami Warning Centre, the undersea earthquake struck at 6.38pm (AEST). The centre said there was no tsunami threat to the Australian mainland, islands or territories.



Indonesia straddles a series of fault lines that makes the vast island nation prone to volcanic and seismic activity.



A giant 9.1-magnitude quake off the country on December 26, 2004, triggered a tsunami in the Indian Ocean that killed 230,000 people, nearly three-quarters of them in Aceh.



Originally published as Tsunami warning after Indonesia quake