Dec 14, Kathmandu - A magnitude 7.7 earthquake has shaken the Flores Sea region of Indonesia. The Indonesian government has issued a tsunami alert following the powerful quake.

The last time a magnitude 6.6 earthquake shook the northwest coast of the Indonesian island of Sumatra was in May.

A previous earthquake in 2004 killed at least 200,000 people when a magnitude 9.1 earthquake shook the region of Sumatra and killed at least 200,000 people. The tsunami affected nine countries, including Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Thailand.