Sri Lanka issues tsunami evacuation order

Thu, 23 May 2013 15:12:44

11 Apr, 2012 15:25:39

Apr 11, 2012 (LBO) - Sri Lanka has issued a tsunami evacuation asking residents in coastal areas to move to safer areas inland, following a strong earthquake in Indonesia.

The department of meterology said residents in Eastern and Southern coastal areas should move inland quickly. Tsunami waves are expected to first hit the Eastern and Southern coasts.

Hawaii's Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre has said an earthquake of 8.7 magnitude had occurred off the coast of Northern Sumatra in Indonesia.

The PTWC said a tsunami was generated and waves could reach Sri Lanka's coast in Trincomalee at 4.19 pm hours (1039 GMT) can the capital Colombo by 04.50pm.

Waves could reach Dondra in the South coast at 04.24 pm and Jaffna in the north at 6.05 pm.

Residents in several parts of Sri Lanka reported feeling the quake.

In December 2004 an tsunami from a much larger quake (9.6 on the Richter scale) devastated large parts of Sri Lanka.

A magnitude of one indicates an increase in the size of the earthquake by 10.

Update II