The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center on Wednesday cancelled an alert issued for countries along the Indian Ocean. 

This followed a massive 8.6 magnitude earthquake near Indonesia. 

The warning was issued to 28 countries and was extended for a further two hours when an aftershock struck off the coast of Sumatra. 

Speaking to Eyewitness News, numerous South African holidaymakers in Thailand said they were moved to higher ground.

One Krabi man said he battled to receive information, but things appeared to be returning to normal.

He said staff at the hotel did not say anything further about the tsunami. 

South Africa was amongst the countries to be issued with a tsunami watch.

But alerts for Port Elizabeth, Cape Town, Durban and the Prince Edward Islands were withdrawn.

Shortly after the quake, a tsunami measuring just 17 centimetres was generated in the Indian Ocean. 

There were fears that the wave could gather momentum as it travels.

Jakarta – Indonesia issued a tsunami warning on Wednesday after an 8.7 magnitude earthquake hit waters off westernmost Aceh province.

People on Twitter said tremors were felt in Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia and India. High-rise flats and offices on Malaysia’s west coast shook for at least a minute.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre in Hawaii said a tsunami watch was in effect for Indonesia, India, Sri Lanka, Australia, Myanmar, Thailand, the Maldives and other Indian Ocean islands, Malaysia, Pakistan, Somalia, Oman, Iran, Bangladesh, Kenya, South Africa and Singapore.

A tsunami watch means there is the potential for a tsunami, not that one is imminent.

The US Geological Survey said the powerful quake was centred 33km beneath the ocean floor around 495km from Aceh’s provincial capital.

Said, an official at Indonesia’s Meteorology and Geophysics Agency who goes by only one name, said a tsunami warning has been issued.

Indonesia straddles a series of fault lines that makes the vast island nation prone to volcanic and seismic activity.

A giant 9.1-magnitude quake off the country on December 26 2004 triggered a tsunami in the Indian Ocean that killed 230 000 people, nearly three quarter of them in Aceh.