There is, however, no information yet on the exact number of the casualties or the scale of destruction.
The earthquake, which measured 7.9 on the Richter scale, struck 105 kilometers (65 miles) southwest of Bengkulu, on the island of Sumatra, at a depth of 15.6 kilometers (9.7 miles), the U.S. Geological Survey said.
Immediately following the quake, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued a tsunami warning for the region. India and Australia could also be affected by waves resulting from any tsunami, it said.
Buildings were reported to have swayed in Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia, and there have been reports of widespread panic as people head inland.
On December 26, 2004, an earthquake off the coast of Sumatra, measuring 9.0 on the Richter scale, generated a huge tsunami that killed more than 150,000 in a dozen nations, the majority in Indonesia's Aceh province.
