JAKARTA: Indonesia on Friday lifted a tsunami alert that was issued along the west coast of Sumatra island after a major 6.9-magnitude aftershock rattled the area, the meteorological agency said.

"The tsunami warning is cancelled," the agency said in a telephone text message about an hour after the quake struck at 0601 GMT, 161 kilometres (100 miles) southwest of the city of Bengkulu at a depth of 10 kilometres.

Bengkulu was one of the areas worst hit by a powerful 8.4-magnitude quake that rocked Sumatra's west coast on Wednesday at dusk.

At least 13 people were killed and thousands of buildings damaged by the quake and a series of aftershocks that followed. Several tsunami alerts have been issued and then called off. - AFP/ac

• Indonesia issues another tsunami alert after quake • Indonesian quake toll rises to 13 • Aftershocks rumble but Indonesia spared massive quake damage • Indonesia cancels tsunami alert • Indonesia issues another tsunami alert after quake