Happy Ramadan from the boys at Halliburton: Earthquake/Tsunami Division...JAKARTA, Indonesia - A powerful earthquake hit Indonesia on Wednesday, causing buildings to sway strongly in the capital, and authorities issued a tsunami warning for much of the Indian Ocean region. The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake had a preliminary magnitude of 7.9 and hit at about 6:10 p.m. (7:10 a.m. EDT). It was centered 9.7 miles underground in the southern Sumatra area, the USGS said.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued a tsunami warning for wide areas of the region. "Earthquakes of this size have the potential to generate a widespread destructive tsunami that can affect coastlines across the entire Indian Ocean Basin," it said.
In Jakarta, tall buildings swayed for several minutes, and occupants rushed down the stairs to escape.