8.9 magnitude earthquake strikes Indonesia,Tsunami warning issued

An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 8.9 on the Richter scale has hit Indonesia, off Aceh province on the northern tip of Sumatra, triggering a tsunami warning.

The earthquake struck off the western coast of the Indonesian island of Sumatra at 2.30 PM Indonesian Time, triggering a tsunami warning, the US Geological Survey reported. The earthquake's epicenter was located at a depth of 33 km, at a location about 495 km southwest of Banda Aceh on the island of Sumatra. An Indian Ocean-wide tsunami warning was put in place immediately following the quake, according to the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center. The impact of the earthquake has been felt in Singapore, Thailand and parts of Southern India. The island of Sumatra was hit by Tsunami in 2004 after a 9.3 quake hit the island killing almost 230,000 people.