HONG KONG, Dec. 26 (Xinhuanet) -- Tsunamis triggered by a massive earthquake in Indonesia smashed into coastal areas of the Indian Ocean ring nations Sunday, destroying villages and flooding cities and killing more than 11,000 people.

    The 8.9-magnitude earthquake, the most powerful one in four decades, struck just before 8:00 a.m. local time (0100 GMT) off the west coast of the Indonesian island of Sumatra, about 1,620 kilometers northwest of Jakarta, according to the US Geological Survey. It was followed by a series of powerful aftershocks.

    The death toll is increasing as counting of bodies washed up on beaches is continuing while thousands were reported missing. Tens of thousands fled the coasts for higher ground, fearing aftershocks and further flood surges.

In Indonesia