Powerful 7.1 magnitude earthquake strikes Indonesia’s Sumatra Island, triggering tsunami warning

A powerful earthquake has struck one of Australia’s nearest neighbours, briefly sparking a tsunami warning.

The earthquake struck this morning.

A tsunami warning was triggered after a powerful earthquake struck on Australia’s doorstep, west of Indonesia’s Sumatra Island.

That’s according to Indonesia’s geophysics agency, which measured it at a 7.1 magnitude at its strongest and 16km deep.

The European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC)’s website says the tremor hit 199km west of Padang and 172km southwest of Pariaman, both in Indonesia.

The earthquake struck this morning.

The EMSC earlier pegged the quake at 6.9 magnitude.

There was currently no threat to the Australian mainland, islands or territories, the Joint Australian Tsunami Warning Centre reported.

The tsunami warning, which asked local authorities to immediately instruct residents of the affected area to move away from shores, has since been lifted, according to Reuters.

It was in place for about two hours.

Indonesian Government data showed several aftershocks of up to 5 magnitude followed the main quake.

Local resident Abdul told Reuters that in Padang, the capital of West Sumatra, the land shook so hard that people fled from the beaches.

Ponant cruise ship L'Austral, seen off Parai Beach, Bangka Island, Sumatra, Indonesia. Picture: Brad Crouch

“People left their homes. Some were panicking but under control. Currently some of them are evacuating away from the sea,” he said.

Indonesia is prone to frequent earthquakes.

That’s because it straddles what’s known as the Pacific Ring of Fire, a seismically active zone where several plates of earth meet.