LOS ANGELES : The US-run Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said Monday that authorities in the zone of the new major earthquake off Indonesia should take "immediate action" against a tidal wave including evacuating coastal zones.
"This earthquake has the potential to generate a widely destructive tsunami in the ocean or seas near the earthquake," off the Indonesian island of Sumatra, said the Honolulu-based center in a warning bulletin.
"Authorities in those regions should be aware of this possibility and take immediate action. This action should include evacuation of coasts within 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) of the epicenter and close monitoring to determine the need for evacuation further away."
The warning centre said the new quake off Sumatra had been measured at up to 8.5 on the Richter scale. The US Geological Survey, which directly monitors quake activity, estimated it at 8.2 on the Richter scale. - AFP