Tsunami alert lifted for Indian Ocean
The threat of a major tsunami was downgraded overnight following a massive earthquake that struck southwest of the Indonesian province of Aceh.
Tsunami alerts were in place around the Indian Ocean, causing panic in some destinations.
Phuket in Thailand closed its airport for a while, disrupting flight operations.
The quake registered 8.7 and was followed by several aftershocks including one two hours later with a magnitude of 8.3.
Tremors were felt as far away as Singapore, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Bangladesh and India.
In Banda Aceh, where 170,000 people died in the 2004 tsunami, buildings shook and power poles swayed, forcing residents to evacuate their homes and seek higher ground.
People near the coast in six Thai provinces were ordered to higher ground and the Indian port in Chennai was closed as India issued a tsunami warning.
Ian Jarrett
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