Jakarta, An earthquake of 8.7 magnitude struck off the coast of Indonesia on Wednesday, sending residents there and in India dashing out of their homes and offices in fear. A tsunami warning was issued for the whole Indian Ocean. The quake struck 308 miles (500 km) southwest of the city of Banda Aceh, on the northern tip of Sumatra island, at a depth of 20.5 miles (33 km), the US Geological survey said. The quake was felt as far away as the Thai capital, Bangkok, and in southern India, residents said. Hundreds of office workers in the Bangalore left their buildings, workers there said. The quake was in roughly in the same area as a Dec 26, 2004, quake of 9.1 magnitude, which sent huge tsunami waves crashing into Sumatra, where 170,000 people were killed, and across the Indian Ocean. In all, the 2004 tsunami killed about 230,000 people in 13 Indian Ocean countries, including Thailand, Sri Lanka and India. The 2004 quake was at a depth of 18 miles (30 km) along a fault line running under the Indian Ocean, off western Indonesia and up into the Bay of Bengal. The quake was also felt in Sri Lanka and the southern Thai holiday island of Phuket, both of which were ...
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JAKARTA, INDONESIA : A woman who drove her vehicle into a group of pedestrians in the Indonesian capital of Jakarta on Sunday morning has tested positive for drugs, officials said on Monday. The incident left nine people killed. Afriani Susanti, the driver of the vehicle, slammed into a group of pedestrians in the Tugu Tani area of Central Jakarta on late Sunday morning. As a result, nine people were killed, including a three-year-old boy, while three others were injured. Police immediately arrested Afriani and her three passengers after the accident. Jakarta Police spokesman Senior Commander Rikwanto told the Jakarta Globe on Monday that laboratory tests have lead police to believe that she had taken crystal methamphetamine. Afriani allegedly confessed to have taken ecstasy, a common drug associated with parties, while further reports indicate that she had also been drinking and driving without a license. In addition, the vehicle was not registered. The suspect remained in custody on Monday and is expected to face a number of charges. Funerals for four of the victims, all aged 16 and 17, also took place on ...
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