Indonesia Lift Tsunami Warning

By Ahmad Fuad Yahya JAKARTA, April 12 (Bernama) -- Indonesia’s Meteorology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) has withdrawn the tsunami warning issued after the 8.9 magnitude earthquake in Aceh, when no aftershocks were recorded. "BMKG has officially lifted the tsunami warning at 7.45pm after confirmation that there were no aftershocks," BMKG's head of Earthquake and Tsunami in Jakarta, Suhardjono said here on Wednesday. The earthquake had however, caused a tsunami measuring 80sm at Meulaboh, in West Aceh and 60sm in Sabang. Meulaboh is part of provinces which are relatively close to Simeulue Island where the strong earthquake had occurred. Earthquake and Tsunami expert from Universiti Andalas (Unand) in Padang, Dr Badrul Kamal Mustafa also assured that the tsunami threat was over. "Based on the time of the earthquake, if there was a tsunami it should have reached Padang by 7.32pm. We are very fortunate that there was no tsunami," he said in Padang. Tremors of the powerful earthquake was felt in neighbouring countries like Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore. -- BERNAMA