BREAKING: A catastrophic 7.8 magnitude earthquake has violently struck Sumatra Island at 3:47 PM local time, triggering immediate tsunami warnings across the Indian Ocean and causing widespread destruction. Witnesses describe the ground 'shaking like a truck' for over 90 seconds, with buildings collapsing and power outages reported in major cities including Jakarta and Medan.

PulseWire's earthquake detection system confirmed the epicenter 52 km off the western coast of Sumatra, with the tremor felt as far as Singapore and Bangkok. 'I was at my desk when the building started tilting - I ran outside and saw the tsunami wave hitting the shore,' shared Jakarta resident Aisha Rahmawati via live video. Emergency alerts are flooding social media with verified eyewitness accounts of landslides burying villages and coastal roads washed away.

Official sources confirm 23 fatalities and 150+ injuries with many trapped under debris. Rescue teams are working through the night to access collapsed buildings, while hospitals face overwhelming casualties. The Indonesian Navy has dispatched 12 vessels for coastal operations as tsunami waves reportedly reached 3 meters high near Padang. Authorities warn evacuation orders are 'critical' for low-lying coastal areas.

This is the strongest quake in Sumatra since 2019, with aftershocks measuring 6.2 magnitude continuing to shake the region. PulseWire's interactive map shows live updates from verified sources across 12 affected provinces. Share your location updates using #SumatraEarthquake on Twitter and Facebook for crowd-sourced safety confirmation. All major airlines have grounded flights to the region; check our travel advisories live for latest updates.}