Tsunami Warning as Quake Rocks Indonesia

Nine dead in latest burst of seismic activity under Indian Ocean

(NEWSER) - The fourth in a string of violent earthquakes and more than 60 lower-level tremors rattled Indonesia late today, at a magnitude of 6.2. With its epicenter two miles deep in the Indian Ocean, 65 miles west-northwest of Bengkulu, the government issued, then canceled, another tsunami warning. Nine have died in two days of seismic activity, CNN reports. More»

(NEWSER) - A powerful 7.4 earthquake today swayed buildings 125 miles south in Indonesia's capital city of Jakarta and triggered a tsunami alert, reports AP. There were no immediate reports of large waves, but several buildings in the town closest to the epicenter, Tasikmalaya, were damaged. More»

Eerie echoes of quake that sparked 2004 Aceh tsunami horror

(NEWSER) - Indonesia has responded to a powerful 8.6-magnitude earthquake that struck beneath the ocean floor off the westernmost province of Aceh by issuing a tsunami warning for the entire Indian Ocean. And while it ultimately spawned a wave just 30 inches high that caused no serious damage, there's no rest yet for the earthquake-weary country. A hefty 8.2-magnitude aftershock hit about two hours later, reports the AP . That shaker was centered some 380 miles from the provincial capital of Banda Aceh, about 100 miles further than the first. More»

Temblor struck off Papua New Guinea

(AP) - Indonesia says it issued a tsunami warning after a powerful quake hit off Papua New Guinea. The US Geological Survey says the quake had a preliminary magnitude of 6.8 and was centered 325 miles northeast of the capital, Port Morseby. It struck 31 miles beneath the ocean floor. Fauzi, an official with Indonesia's geological agency, says his country issued a tsunami warning after the quake. More»

Prayers offered for 250K victims at graves, in mosques, on beaches

(NEWSER) - From Indonesian mosques to Thai beaches, prayer services and commemorations were held all across the Indian Ocean region today to mark the fifth anniversary of the catastrophic tsunami that obliterated whole villages and took nearly 250,000 lives. In Sri Lanka, all cars and trucks came to a standstill as people observed two minutes of silence at the exact time the first wave crashed ashore. More»