Indonesia Earthquake Update: Large Quake Strikes Off Coast Of Asian Archipelago Nation

A large and shallow magnitude-7.8 earthquake struck off the coast of Indonesia Wednesday, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS). There have been early reports of deaths, according to Reuters.

The earthquake centered over the Indian Ocean about 410 miles southwest of Muara Siberut, Indonesia, and some 500 miles west-southwest of Padang, on the west coast of Sumatra, the largest island in the Asian archipelago nation. The USGS initially reported the roughly 6-mile-deep tremor was a magnitude-8.2 earthquake but has since lowered that figure to 7.8.

An official told Reuters there were some early reports of deaths. "There are some who have died," said Heronimus Guru, the deputy head of operations with the National Search and Rescue Agency, told Reuters.

The news agency also reported a tsunami warning had been issued but was since lifted. The USGS' preliminary report indicated the earthquake struck 6 miles deep. It was not immediately known if there was any tsunami threat because of the quake.

Large earthquakes are relatively common in and around Indonesia, which is part of the Ring of Fire, an arc of fault lines circling the Pacific Basin that is prone to frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.