Damage and death as Asian quake sparks tsunami panic

A powerful 8.7-magnitude earthquake hammered Indonesia’s west coast, collapsing homes and burying sleeping residents inside and sparking panic across Indian Ocean countries still traumatised by the tsunami disaster three months ago. Death toll estimates varied widely, from about 200 to 10 times that number.

While fears of another tsunami catastrophe faded today when no waves appeared in the hours immediately after the overnight quake, the force of the temblor brought down 70% of the buildings in a market district in a town on nearby Nias island, officials said.