Indonesia assesses damage after Sumatra quake

April 12, 2012 08:36 am | Updated November 16, 2021 11:37 pm IST - Banda Aceh (Indonesia)

A boy cries as he is carried by his mother as they evacuate to higher ground after a strong earthquake was felt in Banda Aceh, Sumatra island, Indonesia on Wednesday.

A boy cries as he is carried by his mother as they evacuate to higher ground after a strong earthquake was felt in Banda Aceh, Sumatra island, Indonesia on Wednesday.

Life returned to normal in Indonesia’s Aceh province on Thursday, after a powerful earthquake off Sumatra island triggered a tsunami warning, sending residents fleeing to safety.

Electricity, knocked out after the magnitude-8.6 quake on Wednesday, was restored and government offices were opened.

There were no immediate reports of fatalities as a result of the quake. A prison in Aceh Besar district suffered serious damaged.

Several aftershocks forced fearful residents to stay outside on Wednesday night.

In Jakarta, the National Disaster Management Agency said it was dispatching three teams to quake—affected areas to assess the damage.

“According to preliminary reports four people were lightly injured and one bridge collapsed,” agency spokesman Sutopo Nugroho said.

The quake triggered tsunami warnings for countries ranging from Indonesia to Thailand, India, Australia, the Seychelles, Somalia, Oman and South Africa.

The warnings were lifted hours later.

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