On Wednesday about 28 countries felt the shake of an 8.7 strong earthquake. Fearing the repetition of past disasters such as the one in December 2004 off the coast of Indonesia, that killed more than 220 000 people, terrified inhabitants exited their jobs and homes.
Countries affected by the earthquake starting from the north of the island of Sumatra to Indonesia and Thailand sounded the red alert to prepare the inhabitants for a possible tsunami.
According to Univision, the National Center for Disaster Management in Thailand said, "people living in Andaman coast should move to high points and stay as far from the sea".
The magnitude and timing of earthquakes were confirmed by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). The duration was approximately four minutes and the magnitude was between 8.7 and 8.2.
The strongest earthquake in this region in past years was the 8.7 earthquake that struck the southwest city of Banda Aceh. The earthquake took place more than 33 miles deep and two hours later, another earthquake of 8.2 of magnitude resulted in a tsunami.
Given this situation of panic and danger, concerned authorities are placing their best efforts to maintain security throughout the affected territory.