SECOND QUAKE
Indonesia's meteorological agency said via an sms alert the first quake's epicentre was 159 km (99 miles) southwest of Bengkulu, a remote area of mountains and forests.
A second tsunami warning was issued a few hours later after the 6.6 tremor struck 76 km (47 miles) northwest of Bengkulu.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued an Indian Ocean tsunami warning after the first quake struck at 6:10 p.m. (1110 GMT). Authorities from Malaysia, Sri Lanka and Australia issued independent warnings, as did India for the Andaman and Nicobar islands.
By 1530 GMT, all the tsunami alerts from the first quake had been lifted with the exception of a warning issued for Western Australia.
Some residents of Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand also felt the first quake and some buildings were evacuated.
Budi, a police chief in Bengkulu, said on Indonesia's Elshinta radio that he felt a strong quake.
"People panicked and tried to save themselves," he said.
He added he heard a report that a three-storey building had collapsed.
Suhardjono, an official at Indonesia's meteorological agency, said there had been higher waves in Padang after the first quake but they were not destructive.
Malaysian authorities had issued a tsunami warning for citizens to stay away from beaches.
Police on the resort island of Penang, hit in the 2004 tsunami, were mobilised to evacuate people from beach-side hotels and other dwellings.
Australia withdrew its warning for Christmas and Cocos Islands late on Wednesday, but the warning was still in place for Western Australia.
