Indonesian officials say they have activated the first stage of a tsunami early warning system off the coast of Sumatra.
The officials said Thursday that Indonesian and German scientists installed two buoys and planted a pressure sensor on the sea bottom off the coast of western Sumatra earlier this week. They represent the initial phase of a five-year plan to prepare the country's vulnerable coastlines for tsunamis.
The buoys will transmit data on undersea tremors. India and Thailand are setting up similar systems.
Indonesia hopes to prevent a repeat of last year's huge quake-triggered waves that left more than 130,000 people dead in the country.
Some information for this report provided by AFP and Reuters.
