(CNN) -- A massive earthquake struck off the coast of the Indonesian island of Sumatra on Wednesday, triggering a tsunami alert for the Indian Ocean.
The quake struck about 430 kilometers from Banda Aceh, the capital of Indonesia's Aceh province, and had a magnitude of 8.7, the U.S. Geological Survey said. It took place at a depth of 33 kilometers.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said it had issued a tsunami watch for the entire Indian Ocean, and the Indonesian Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency said it had put up a tsunami warning.
The power has gone out in Banda Aceh and residents are moving to higher ground, said Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, a spokesman for the Indonesian National Disaster Management Agency.
The extent of the damage is still being assessed.
http://edition.cnn.com/2012/04/11/world/asia/indonesia-earthquake/index.html?hpt=hp_t1
