Saturday, May 14 2005 11:45 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Jakarta: A 6.9 magnitude undersea earthquake rocked Indonesia's Sumatra Island today (May 14, 2005), triggering panic in several cities. There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.

Budi Waluyo, from the meteorological and geophysical agency, said it was unlikely that the quake would trigger a tsunami given its strength and the fact it occurred relatively close to the earth's surface.

The temblor was cantered 50 kilometres southwest of the city of Padang on west Sumatra, he said. It struck at 12.05 hrs (local time) (10:35 hrs IST), he said.

Media reports said that frightened residents ran from their houses in several cities on the Island.