More than 300 people are reported dead in the aftermath of a powerful earthquake off the coast of Indonesia. Thousands of residents in Thailand, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, and elsewhere evacuated from coastal areas after the quake hit the region around 11:10 a.m. (EST) and governments issued tsunami warnings. Now, however, the danger of a new tsunami appears to have passed.
Measuring about 8.7 on the Richter scale, today’s quake occurred on the same fault line as the 9.2 earthquake that triggered a massive tsunami on December 26, 2004. That tsunami was among the most deadly and expensive natural disasters in history.