NEW YORK – A magnitude 7.8 earthquake has rattled Indonesia’s northwest island of Sumatra, the U.S. Geological Survey reported Tuesday.
The quake struck at 2215 GMT (5:15 a.m. Wednesday local time) and was centered 205 kilometers (125 miles) northwest of Sibolga in Sumatra, and was 1,425 kilometers (880 miles) northwest of Jakarta, the U.S. Geological Survey said.
A tsunami watch was issued for the region, said the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Honolulu.
Japan’s Kyodo news agency reported blackouts in Medan and Banda Aceh, the capital of Aceh Province.
The quake was 46 kilometers (28.6 miles) deep, the USGS said.