Malaysia issues alert for west coast after Sumatra quake
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Kuala Lumpur - Malaysia urged people residing on thecountry's western coast to stay away from beaches following themagnitude 8.7-earthquake that struck the coast of Indonesia'snorthern Sumatra.
The Malaysia Maritime Enforcement Agency at its northern office inthe state of Kedah said it was closely watching the coast in thestates of Perlis, Kedah and Penang and on the island of Langkawi.
The Malaysian Meteorogical Department warned people to stay awayfrom the beaches while a tsunami alert was in effect.
The US-based Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued a warning inthe Indian Ocean region, including the western coast of Malaysia.
Sixty eight people were killed in Malaysia, mostly in Penang, whenit was hit by a tsunami in the aftermath of the December 2004earthquake that also hit Indonesia.//DPA
