Indonesia issued a tsunami warning after a powerful earthquake followed by several aftershocks struck off Aceh province.
The first 8.6 magnitude quake struck at 4.38 a.m EDT followed by an 8.2 magnitude aftershock at 6.43 a.m. EDT, according to a report from Reuters. Two more strong aftershocks hit later.
The US Geological Survey (USGS), which documents quakes worldwide, said the first quake struck about 434 kilometers (270 miles) southwest of Banda Aceh, the capital of Indonesia’s Aceh province. It took place at a depth of 23 kilometers (14 miles).
The quake was reportedly felt as far away as India. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center has issued a tsunami watch for Indonesia, India, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand, Maldives, Malaysia, Pakistan, Somalia, Oman, Iran, Bangladesh and Singapore.
Indonesian officials issued a tsunami warning for cities along the coast, while President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono downplayed the threat of a tsunami and said there were no immediate reports of casualties or damage.
Indonesia is located on a series of seismic fault lines that leaves it vulnerable to earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. A giant 9.1-magnitude quake off Indonesia on Dec. 26, 2004, triggered a tsunami across the Indian Ocean that killed over 200,000 people in more than a dozen countries. Since then, tsunami warning systems were established across the region.