(CNN) -- A powerful earthquake hit off the coast of Indonesia's Sumatra island Monday afternoon, the U.S. Geological Survey's Web site reported.

The quake was centered about 100 miles (160 km) south-southwest of Padang and had a magnitude of 7.3, making it a major earthquake.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued a local tsunami watch.

It's the fifth quake registering 5.0 or above to hit the area in the last 24 hours, and it comes four days after another major quake registering 7.5 in magnitude shook the region, killing three people.

That quake's epicenter was also located off the Sumatran coast, about 300 to 400 miles south of where Sunday's and Monday's quakes registered. E-mail to a friend

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