A tsunami warning was issued after a powerful, shallow earthquake struck off the coast of the Indonesian island of Sumatra. Indonesia straddles the "Ring of Fire," a seismic zone known for its powerful earthquakes.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/H. Simanjuntak
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Indonesia issued a tsunami warning for West Sumatra, North Sumatra and Aceh after a powerful and shallow 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck off the west coast of the island of Sumatra on Wednesday, the US Geological Service (USGS) said.
Authororities recalled the warning around two hours after announcing it.
Disaster Mitigation Agency spokesman Sutopo Nughoro said there were neither casualties nor damage reported.
"According to reports from the areas where the earthquake was felt, they are all safe," Sutopo said.
The earthquake's epicenter was initially reported to have taken place approximately ten kilometers (six miles) deep, but the USGS corrected its observation, noting that it occurred 24 kilometers (15 miles) below the earth's surface.
The earthquake struck around 800 kilometers (497 miles) from Padang, the capital of West Sumatra province.
"In addition to the current seismic hazards along this portion of the Sunda arc, this region is also recognized as having one of the highest volcanic hazards in the world," the USGS said in a statement accompanying the announcement.
Australia's Bureau of Meteorology also issued a warning for the Cocos and Christmas islands, although it did not advise evacuations and later recalled it.
In 2004, a massive earthquake off the coast of Indonesia triggered a devastating tsunami that left 230,000 people dead in several countries, with most of them being reported in the Aceh province.
Rising from the ruins - The rebuilding of Aceh
With almost 170,000 casualties, Indonesia bore the brunt of the 2004 tsunami. Most of those killed were in Aceh province. DW takes a look at how things have changed in the city of Banda Aceh ten years on.
Image: Getty Images/Ulet Ifansasti
Hardest hit
The Indonesian province of Aceh, located at the northern end of Sumatra, was the hardest hit by the tsunami. More than 130,000 people died in this region alone. This picture taken on January 8, 2005 shows the devastation caused by the tsunami in the provincial capital Banda Aceh.
Image: Getty Images/Ulet Ifansasti
Reconstruction
Ten years later, many of the tsunami survivors in Aceh have regained their livelihoods. Houses, roads, bridges and ports have been rebuilt in what the World Bank described as "the most successful reconstruction effort." This picture taken in December 2014 provides an aerial view of houses in the capital city.
Image: Getty Images/Ulet Ifansasti
The displaced
Aceh was the worst hit location, being the closest major area to the epicenter of the 9.1 magnitude quake, which made some 1.5 million people homeless in Southeast Asia. This picture shows people displaced by the tsunami, walking amid their ruined neighborhood just days after the disaster.
Image: Getty Images/Ulet Ifansasti
Rebuilt or repaired
The Indian Ocean tsunami also prompted an unprecedented humanitarian response and an international relief effort. Many of the buildings are now new or significantly repaired. This picture taken in December 2014 shows a motorcyclist driving past a boat washed up onto people's homes.
Image: Getty Images/Ulet Ifansasti
Destruction
The province of Aceh was the first hit by the tsunami, with waves of up to 35 meters, killing tens of thousands and leaving behind a path of destruction. As seen in this January 2005 picture, the houses surrounding this partly damaged mosque in the Lampuuk coastal district of Banda Aceh were wiped out by the massive waves.
Image: AFP/Getty Images/Joel Sagget
God's punishment?
Since the disaster, Aceh has become more religiously observant, as many people saw the tsunami as God's punishment for their immorality, evidenced by the fact that many mosques remained standing. This picture taken 10 years later shows the renovated mosque surrounded by new houses and rebuilt community.
Image: AFP/Getty Images/Chaideer Mahyuddin
A massive quake
A massive undersea earthquake off Sumatra on December 26, 2004 - known as the 2004 Sumatra-Andaman earthquake - triggered the Indian Ocean tsunami. Its tidal waves reached at least 11 countries from Australia to Tanzania, claiming about 230,000 lives. This picture shows a scene of devastation in the Indonesian city of Banda Aceh.
Image: Getty Images/Ulet Ifansasti
Unexpected consequences
The outpouring of international aid helped residents rebuild their community stronger than before the disaster. The tsunami also sparked peace talks that led to a deal in 2005 between separatist rebels and the central government, ending a three-decade long war that claimed thousands of lives.
Image: Getty Images/Ulet Ifansasti
'The stench was terrible'
Describing her impressions shortly after the tsunami, US journalist Kira Kay said: "Bodies remained under rubble; the body retrieval caravans – some of them run by Islamic civil society groups – were dumping them by the truckload into mass graves. The stench was terrible."
Image: Getty Images/Ulet Ifansasti
Shariah Law
Aceh was always more conservative than other parts of Indonesia - in fact the nickname for Aceh is "the Porch of Mecca" as it is at the tip of the country facing Saudi Arabia. But in recent years, there has been an increased implementation of the region's special Shariah laws, including rules governing the clothing of women and moral behaviors generally.
