Phuket tsunami alert update

PHUKET: The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center has issued a tsunami alert for Indonesia, Malaysia, India and Thailand, according to an Associated Press report.

The center issued the warning following a powerful earthquake of magnitude 7.6 about 50km west of Padang in Western Sumatra at 5.16pm.

There were no immediate reports of a high waves or injuries, it added.

An officer at the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation in Phuket (DDPM-Phuket) said the National Disaster Warning Center had sent messages to authorities in coastal areas to prepare for a possible tsunami.

If the center confirms the approach of a tsunami, an evacuation will be ordered.

— Gazette Reporters