Malaysia lifts tsunami alert

The Malaysian Meteorological Department has lifted a tsunami alert it issued for its three coastal areas after a 7.5 magnitude earthquake struck North Sumatra in Indonesia early Wednesday morning.

The alert was lifted because only a small tsunami had occurred in Sumatra following the quake, it said in a statement issued this morning.

The earthquake hit North Sumatra, 448km southwest of Malaysia's Pangkor Island with tremors felt in west coast of Peninsula Malaysia.

The Met department had earlier issued a tsunami alert in Perlis, Penang and Kedah and warned people to keep away from the beach.

The US Geological Survey said the quake struck at 3.45 am IST and was centred 205 km northwest of Sibolga in Sumatra at a depth of 46 km. A tsunami warning issued by the Indonesia Meteorology and Geophysics Agency was lifted two hours later.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre in Honolulu also issued a tsunami watch.The centre said no tsunami threat existed for other coastal areas in the Indian Ocean, although some areas could experience small sea level changes and strong or unusual coastal currents, Star online said.

Fauzi, an official at the meteorology agency's Jakarta office said there were no immediate reports of damage or casualties but officials were monitoring the situation.