Eight Australians missing after quake wave
Updated
Emergency officials say residents initially panicked and fled to the hills following the quake. (AFP: Rus Akbar)
Authorities are trying to make contact with eight Australian surfers following a powerful earthquake off the Indonesian island of Sumatra.
The undersea quake, which had a magnitude of at least 7.5, struck early this morning.
The eight men are on board a traditional Indonesian-style wooden boat that is due to return to West Sumatra next week.
Their tour organiser says she has not yet heard from the surfers, but it is possible their boat may be out of mobile phone range.
Indonesian emergency officials are relying on two-way radios to gather information about damage and injuries.
An Australian who runs a boat charter business in Indonesia says waves generated by an earthquake off the coast carried bystanders up to 200 metres inland.
Captain Rick Hallet told the Nine Network huge waves devastated one of his boats that was anchored off Pagai Island in the Mentawai group, which is popular with Australian surf tourists.
"We threw whatever we could - the floating surfboards, fenders, whatever else we could overboard, and all jumped in the water," he said.
"Then some guys were carried probably up to 200 metres inland on the wave."
Another Australian who works for a surf charter company in Indonesia says the waves have caused a serious boat crash in the Mentawai islands.
Jamie Gray, a tour operator, told ABC NewsRadio that his colleagues described a terrifying ordeal.
"The Midas, which was a boat with our clients on it, has collided with another boat called the Freedom due to a three-metre tsunami and that's knocked everybody off the boat," he said.
Residents reported shaking as far away as the West Sumatran provincial capital of Padang, but fears of widespread damage eased a few hours after the quake.
"Residents panicked and ran to the hills but now they are starting to come down. There's no report of casualties or damage," Disaster Management Agency spokesman Priyadi Kardono said.
- ABC/AFP
First posted
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