Tsunami alert issued in Maldives after Indonesia's powerful earthquake off Banda Aceh

A tsunami alert was issued in Maldives yesterday after Indonesia's geophysical agency reported a powerful earthquake off Banda Aceh province.

Wednesday's quake was measured at a preliminary 8.9-magnitude. The geophysical agency said it had not received reports of damage from Aceh quake or rise in water levels.

Tremors were felt in the capital Male’ and the islands. There were reports that high-rise buildings and offices Male’ and the islands shook for at least seven minutes.

The Reuters news agency, quoting an official at a tsunami warning center, has reported the total vertical measurement of the tsunami wave, according to monitoring gauges, was 35 cm (13.8 inches), making the height 17 cm (6.7 inches). 

"It doesn't look like a major tsunami," Victor Sardina, a geophysicist on duty at the Hawaii-based Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre said.

The US Geological Survey said it struck on a depth of 33km, 495km from Aceh's provincial capital.

A tsunami watch was issued across the whole Indian Ocean, including Australia, Pakistan, Somalia, Madagascar, and and many other countries.

Under the direct supervision of President Dr Mohamed Waheed, cabinet ministers gathered and looked in to the tsunami warning issued by the Department of Meteorology, following the earthquake that struck Indonesia this afternoon.

The President convened the cabinet yesterday afternoon, and enquired on the measures being taken by the National Disaster Management Center, and the Department of Meteorology in controlling the situation, and conveying factual information on new developments. The cabinet also continuously collected information from different regions of the country.

Although the earthquake has, to some extent, affected parts of the Maldives, no serious damages have been caused.

Meanwhile, several hours after the earthquake, as it became clear that no tsunami was going to hit the shores, the National Meteorological Centre cancelled the tsunami watch declared after two major earthquakes off the coast of Indonesia's Aceh province. India, Thailand and Sri Lanka have also lifted their own tsunami warnings.

The possibility of a tsunami triggered warning systems that were put in place after the 2004 tsunami that devastated the region.