by The Associated Press
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
NEW YORK -- A magnitude 7.8 earthquake has rattled Indonesia's northwest island of Sumatra, the U.S. Geological Survey reported Tuesday.
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 struck at 5:15 a.m. local time -- 2:15 p.m. in Alaska -- and was 125 miles northwest of Sibolga, in Sumatra, Indonesia and 880 miles northwest of Jakarta, the USGS said.
It was 28.6 miles deep, the agency said.
The earthquake is not expected to generate a tsunami affecting Alaska, according to the Alaska Tsunami Warning Center.
