Large quake near Indonesia; tsunami warnings in effect

• 7.3 magnitude earthquake hits off coast of Indonesia source

» A tsunami warning is in effect: The earthquake struck shortly after midnight local time, some 262 miles off the coast of Banda Aceh, Sumatra. There are, so far, no reports of casualties or damages, but Indonesian officials have confirmed the tsunami alert. The caution is entirely sensible; it was in late 2004 that a large earthquake triggered a catastrophic tsunami which struck Indonesia, killing nearly a quarter-million people.