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Earthquakes, tsunamis kill at least 162 across SE Asia

At least 162 people have been killed after a huge earthquake rocked Indonesia, unleashing tidal waves and flash floods across Asia that swamped coastal areas and displaced thousands.

The quake, which seismologists said measured 6.8 on the Richter scale, struck in the Indian ocean south-west of Aceh province on Sumatra island and sparked panic across the region.

Sri Lanka's eastern and southern coastline was one of the worst hit areas, with rescuers saying at least 162 people had been killed by tidal waves that battered villages.

Sri Lankan relief official M.D. Rodrigo said workers found at least 150 bodies in the Muslim village of Muttur while another 10 were found in the town of Trincomalee which went under several feet of sea water.

"The casualties could be higher," Mr Rodrigo said.

He said the water level was going down leaving a massive trail of destruction. A large number of people were also believed to be missing.

Tsunamis in the southern Thailand resort of Phuket meanwhile left at least four foreign tourists missing after they were swept out to sea.

Indian officials also reported the deaths of two people who drowned after being swamped by a tidal wave in Agarpara in West Bengal state, about 25 kilometres from the capital city of Calcutta.

Unconfirmed radio reports said at least nine people had been killed in Indonesia.

Waves up to five metres high hit the coast of Aceh forcing hundreds to flee to higher ground.

In Aceh, a region currently closed off to foreign media and aid agencies due to a long-running separatist conflict, there were unconfirmed reports of casualties, with buildings including a mosque and a hotel collapsing.

A reporter from the private ElShinta radio said the earthquake caused substantial damage in provincial capital Banda Aceh, including the partial collapse of Kuala Tripa hotel and several shops as well as cracks on the road.

Reports differed on the the exact location and size of the quake.

The US Geological Survey National Earthquake Information Centre put the tremor at 8.5, which would make it one of the largest in history, off the west coast of Sumatra while the Strasbourg Observatory in France said the tremor hit 8.0 and was located north of the island.

Jakarta's Meteorology and Geophysics Office put the quake at 6.8 saying it was centred in the Indian Ocean, 149 kilometres south of Meulaboh, a town on the western coast of Aceh.

The office said there were reports of tsunamis, collapsed bridges and downed powerlines. They said telephone lines were also down, making communications with the region difficult.

First Lieutenant Suyitno of Aceh's south western Sigli district police said water began to rise about 30 minutes after the quake and added that hundreds of people residing near the coast or along rivers had evacuated.

Suyitno said there were no report of casualties yet and that the depth of the flood was around one metre.

Similar conditions were also reported in the coastal town of Lhokseumawe, in North Aceh district, 216 kilometres east of Banda Aceh.

The state Antara news agency said several shops under construction in the Beurawe area of Banda Aceh collapsed and search teams were searching for possible victims -- construction workers who might have been in the buildings.

The quake was also felt in the North Sumatra province capital of Medan, sparking panic among the population. But the meteorology office in Medan said that there were no reports of any damage or casualties.

The tremors were felt as far away as the Thai capital Bangkok, 1,500 kilometres north of the epicentre, where buildings swayed but no serious damage was reported.

Indonesia, an archipelago of more than 18,000 islands, lies on the Pacific "Ring of Fire" noted for its volcanic and seismic activity, and is one of the world's most earthquake-prone regions.

Lying at the collision point of three tectonic plates results in frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions as pressure between the massive segments of the Earth's crust is released.

Last month a succession of powerful earthquakes struck Alor island in eastern Indonesia, killing 26 people.