The quake struck at a depth of 30 kilometres and 66 kilometres southwest of Meulaboh district at 12:59 pm (1129 IST), according to the agency.

The people of Aceh are still traumatised by memories of December 26, 2004, when the Indian Ocean surged over the northern tip of Sumatra after a 9.3-magnitude quake split the seabed to the island's west.

Indonesia was the nation hardest hit, with at least 168,000 people killed out of more than 220,000 who lost their lives across the region.