Tremors were felt in many part as Singapore and scores of office workers fled from high-rise buildings soon after a powerful earthquake hit Indonesia on Wednesday, causing buildings to sway in the capital, and authorities issued a tsunami warning.

The earthquake measuring a magnitude of 8, struck Indonesia's Sumatra region this evening, the United States Geological Survey said.

The quake had the potential to cause a tsunami, an Indonesian meteorological agency official said.

Some offices in Jakarta were evacuated after the tremors were felt. Witnesses in Singapore and Thailand said they also felt the quake.

Many readers rang The Straits Times hotline to report that tremors were felt in Marine Parade, Punggol and Serangoon.

"My fish tank was shaking. The water spilled out," said Mr Lim who lives in Punggol.

Mr Robert Chua said many of neighbours ran out from their flats in his block and gathered in the open.

Another office worker in Toa Payoh, Ms J.W Chen told The Straits Times: "I was standing and reading the newspapers when I started swaying and felt giddy.

"Then I looked up and saw the big aircon duct moving. The light boxes and other air ducts and water pipes also swayed a few inches from their still position non-stop for a few minutes. My colleague and I didn't want to wait and see, so we got into the lift and rushed out to the street across."

The Indonesian National Centre for Ocean Information Services issued a tsunami alert for the Andaman and Nicobar Islands but said that no alert had been issued for the mainland "yet".

Latest reports also indicate that Malaysian authorities have likewise issued a tsunami alert.

More updates to follow 

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