CNN (CNN) -- Indonesia's response to a massive earthquake and a tsunami scare Wednesday highlights a critical reality: Warning systems and emergency responses have come a long way since the catastrophe of eight years ago. But there's still work to be done -- not just in Indonesia, but in some other countries throughout the region as well. Fears that Wednesday's 8.6-magnitude quake and resulting tsunami alert could bring a repeat of the 2004 disaster dissipated quickly as seismologists determined that Wednesday's events were very different and much less dangerous. In the intervening hours, Indonesia put in place many of the procedures it has worked on for years, including some practiced at a drill witnessed by CNN in 2009. "The lesson of 2004 is something that we're not going to repeat at this stage," vowed Teuku Faizasyah, a spokesman for the Indonesian president's office. Speaking to CNN while evacuations were under way in parts of his co...

Aljazeera Indonesia, India and Thailand have downgraded tsunami alerts that had been issued following powerful earthquakes off the coast of Indonesia's Aceh province, prompting evacuations from coastal regions. Wednesday's first quake was measured at a magnitude of 8.6, according to the US Geological Survey, which revised down an earlier 8.9 estimate. "Sea level readings now indicate that the threat has diminished for most areas, therefore the tsunami watch issued by this centre is now cancelled," said the US Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre in Hawaii, which monitored currents in the Indian Ocean following the earthquakes. A bulletin from the National Tsunami Early Warning Centre in the South Indian city of Hyderabad said: "The expected period of significant tsunami waves is now over for all threatened Indian coastal areas." LIVE BLOG An official at the centre, SA Kishore, said the highest tsunami warning level issued for the Andaman and Nicobar isl...

AFP ©AFP / Chaideer Mahyuddin Acehnese people run for safety shortly after a powerful earthquake hit the western coast of Sumatera BANDA ACEH (AFP) - A massive earthquake struck off Indonesia's Sumatra island on Wednesday, triggering an Indian Ocean-wide tsunami alert and evacuation orders to clear people away from the coast. The quake's magnitude was 8.6, according a revised reading from the US Geological Survey, and struck 431 kilometres (268 miles) off the Indonesian city of Banda Aceh where terrified residents poured into the streets. The city was near the epicentre of a devastating 9.1-magnitude quake in 2004 that triggered a tsunami across the Indian Ocean which killed 220,000 people, including 170,000 in Aceh province which lies on the northern tip of Sumatra. The latest tremor was felt as far afield as Thailand, where skyscrapers in the capital Bangkok swayed. India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Sri Lanka and Thailand all issued evacuation orders. ©AFP/Graphic...

Reuter y Reza Munawir BANDA ACEH, Indonesia | Wed Apr 11, 2012 10:13am EDT (Reuters) - A powerful 8.6 magnitude earthquake and a series of strong aftershocks struck off Indonesia on Wednesday, sending people scurrying from buildings as far away as southern India, but there seemed little risk of a disastrous tsunami as in 2004. Indonesia said it was checking for damage and casualties but remarkably, no such reports had been received for several hours after the quakes, including in Aceh, the closest province and the area decimated by the disaster eight years ago. However, some areas close to the epicenter are remote so it could take some time to find out if there was any damage. Many people were frightened of further tremors. "It's dark out here but I am scared to go home," said Mila, a 41-year-old woman taking refuge in the grand mosque in the town of Banda Aceh, the provincial capital. "I just want to stay alert because I fear there will be more quake...

Tre News An 8.7 magnitude earthquake struck off Indonesia this morning, raising fears of a huge tsunami as in 2004, but authorities said there are no reports suggesting a major threat. Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said there were no immediate reports of casualties or damage in Aceh, the Indonesian province closest to the earthquake. The quake struck at 9.38am Irish time and the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said soon afterwards a tsunami watch was in effect for the entire Indian Ocean. It later said the threat of a big tsunami had receded, although the warning remained in place. "It doesn't look like a major tsunami. But we are still monitoring as tsunamis come in waves," Victor Sardina, a geophysicist on duty at the Hawaii-based institute, told Reuters. Individual countries, including Thailand, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and India, issued their own warnings. People near the coast in six Thai provinces were ordered to move to higher ground and au...

Yahoo News BANDA ACEH, Indonesia (Reuters) - A powerful 8.6 magnitude earthquake and a series of strong aftershocks struck off Indonesia on Wednesday, sending people scurrying from buildings as far away as southern India, but there seemed little risk of a disastrous tsunami as in 2004. Indonesia said it was checking for damage and casualties but remarkably, no such reports had been received for several hours after the quakes, including in Aceh, the closest province and the area decimated by the disaster eight years ago. However, some areas close to the epicentre are remote so it could take some time to find out if there was any damage. Many people were frightened of further tremors. "It's dark out here but I am scared to go home," said Mila, a 41-year-old woman taking refuge in the grand mosque in the town of Banda Aceh, the provincial capital. "I just want to stay alert because I fear there will be more quakes coming. We are human, it is only natural tha...

Sky News During a tsunami the ocean suddenly floods the coast, smashing everything in its path, and then just as quickly recedes. Large quakes are the main cause of tsunamis, but they can also be sparked by other cataclysmic events, such as volcanic eruptions and even landslides. During a strong quake, oceanic plates can lurch many metres and rupture the ocean floor. This movement can suddenly move a massive amount of water. :: Read about today's quakes in Indonesia Major quakes that rupture the ocean floor are usually shallow quakes occurring at a depth of less than 44 miles (70km). The 9.1 magnitude quake that caused the devastating 2004 Boxing Day tsunami was 18 miles (30km) below the seafloor. Recent Deadly Quakes and Tsunamis     :: Japan, March 2011 - A 9.0-magnitude earthquake hits underwater, causing a tsunami that kills more than 19,000 people     :: Haiti, January 2010 - A 7.0-magnitude earthquake kills between 250,000 and 300,...

Sky News Tsunami warnings triggered by a powerful earthquake and aftershock off the coast of Indonesia have been lifted in countries surrounding the Indian Ocean. An 8.6-magnitude earthquake southwest of Indonesia's Sumatra island on Wednesday morning (GMT) was followed hours later by an 8.2-magnitude aftershock. Tsunami warnings were issued in countries around the region, including in India, Thailand, Sri Lanka and Indonesia. Terrified people fled their homes and headed for higher ground, as disaster officials scrambled to assess the nature of the seismic events. The US Geological Survey said the first quake originated 20 miles (33km) underground and 271 miles (437km) from Banda Aceh, on Sumatra. The second incident was detected 10 miles (16km) beneath the ocean floor and some 383 miles (617km) from the Indonesian town. Just before the powerful aftershock, reports said the sea at Simeulue Island, south of Sumatra, had receded by about 10 metres. Location of initial...