Emergency Message: 8.7 magnitude quake strikes off Indonesia; travelers are advised to heed regional tsunami warnings

At approximately 4:08 p.m. Rangoon time, an 8.7 magnitude earthquake struck 270 miles southwest of the city of Banda Aceh, off the west coast of Northern Sumatra, at a depth of 14.9 miles. Tremors from the quake are reported to have been felt as far away as Bangkok. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC) has issued a tsunami warning for the Indian Ocean. According to the PTWC, a tsunami may reach the following locations in Burma at the indicated times, all local time on April 11, 2012:

• Cheduba Island      6:19 p.m.
• Pyinkayaing            6:20 p.m.
• Sittwe                     6:56 p.m.
• Mergui                     7:46 p.m.
• Rangoon                 9:37 p.m.

Actual arrival times may differ. The initial wave may not be the largest. A tsunami is a series of waves and the time between successive waves can be five minutes to one hour.

Though initial information about the quake is that the risk is low, information is still emerging. Travelers are advised to proceed with extreme caution in all coastal regions of Burma until further details are available. Infrastructure in many of these regions is especially poor; travelers should defer travel to Burma’s coastal regions until they can confirm that the threat of a tsunami affecting these regions has sufficiently abated. Please consult the NOAA Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC) for updated information: http://ptwc.weather.gov/.

The safety and well-being of United States citizens in Burma is the Consular Office's primary concern. Consular Officers and staff are ready to assist in the event of an emergency. The Embassy’s 24 Hour Duty Officer Telephone is (95)-(9)-512-4330. The 24 Hour Embassy Telephone is (95)-(1)-536-509. If calling the 24 Hour Embassy Telephone, explain that you want to speak to the Duty Officer or a Consular Officer.

For the latest security information, U.S. citizens living and traveling abroad should regularly monitor the Department of State’s Consular Affairs website at http://travel.state.gov, where the current Worldwide Caution, Travel Alerts, Travel Warnings and health-information resources can be found.

Up-to-date information on security can also be obtained by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll free in the U.S. and Canada, or, for callers outside the U.S. and Canada, a regular toll line at 1-202-501-4444. These numbers are available from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays).