A strong earthquake hit late on Monday off the western coast of Indonesia's Sumatra island, but no damage or casualties were immediately reported.
The 7.5-magnitude temblor struck at a depth of 15 km on a small island off Sumatra, said the U.S. Geological Survey. A massive earthquake and tsunami struck off the same island in 2004.
It was reportedly felt in five towns in Bengkulu and West Sumatra provinces, but so far there have been no reports of damages or casualties, said Tatok Yatimantoro of Indonesia's Meteorology and Geophysics Agency. The tremor that struck at 9.42 p.m. (1642 GMT) was centred about 78 km southwest of the Pagai Selatan in Mentawai Island, according to the Indonesian agency. A tsunami watch for local areas was issued but lifted within an hour.
