JAKARTA (AFX) - A large earthquake struck under the sea off Indonesia's Sumatra Islands on Saturday afternoon, seismologists said.
The Hong Kong Observatory reported a "severe earthquake" at 0622 GMT, with an estimated magnitude of 6.5 on the Richter Scale, with its epicenter 350 kilometers west of Banda Aceh.
The quake was close to the epicenter of last Sunday's earthquake, which measured 9.0 on the Richter scale and unleashed tsunamis which killed at least 125,000 people around Asia.
An Agence France-Presse correspondent in Banda Aceh said no tremor was felt there Saturday.
However the State Seismological Bureau of China (SSB) said the new tremor had a magnitude of 7.0, the Xinhua news agency reported.
"This is the biggest earthquake we've monitored in the region since December 26 when there were earthquakes of 8.7 and a 7.5 in magnitude," an official with the SSB told AFP.
"It is hard to say if there will be more tsunamis because there are a lot of factors involved."
The US Geological Survey's website said the quake registered 6.5 on the Richter scale at 0622 GMT. Thai seismologists measured it at 5.4.
Seismologists in Bangladesh also put the earthquake at a magnitude of 6.5.
burs-nw/mtp/mas
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The Hong Kong Observatory reported a "severe earthquake" at 0622 GMT, with an estimated magnitude of 6.5 on the Richter Scale, with its epicenter 350 kilometers west of Banda Aceh.
The quake was close to the epicenter of last Sunday's earthquake, which measured 9.0 on the Richter scale and unleashed tsunamis which killed at least 125,000 people around Asia.
An Agence France-Presse correspondent in Banda Aceh said no tremor was felt there Saturday.
However the State Seismological Bureau of China (SSB) said the new tremor had a magnitude of 7.0, the Xinhua news agency reported.
"This is the biggest earthquake we've monitored in the region since December 26 when there were earthquakes of 8.7 and a 7.5 in magnitude," an official with the SSB told AFP.
"It is hard to say if there will be more tsunamis because there are a lot of factors involved."
The US Geological Survey's website said the quake registered 6.5 on the Richter scale at 0622 GMT. Thai seismologists measured it at 5.4.
Seismologists in Bangladesh also put the earthquake at a magnitude of 6.5.
burs-nw/mtp/mas
For more information and to contact AFX: www.afxnews.com and www.afxpress.com