Indonesia escapes worst after strong quake

Indonesians are breathing a sigh of relief after a tsunami warning was lifted, following a powerful 7.7 magnitude earthquake off the coast of Sumatra.

Initially there was panic in some areas with people fleeing their homes and heading for high ground, but they are now returning.

Their panic is understandable, as the epicentre of the earthquake was off the coast of Aceh, in a similar location to the much larger quake in 2004 which killed around 226,000 people in Indonesia, India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and nine other countries.

Three strong aftershocks caused some power cuts but there are no reports as yet of damage or casualties.

Thailand is warning of a probability of a tsunami on its Andaman coast, and has advised those living there to evacuate.

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