Jakarta , Indonesia ( CNN ) -- A magnitude 7.3 earthquake struck early Wednesday off the west coast of the Indonesian island of Sumatra , the U.S. Geological Survey reported , but witnesses reported only minor shaking on land . The quake was centered in the northern Indian Ocean , more than 400 km ( 250 miles ) off northern Sumatra and more than 29 km ( 18 miles ) beneath the surface . Indonesian authorities initially issued a tsunami warning for the area , before lifting it a couple of hours after the first quake struck . The Hawaii-based Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said there was no threat of a massive wave like the one that devastated the region in 2004 . The quake hit at 12:37 a.m. Wednesday ( 1:37 p.m. Tuesday ET ) , according to the USGS . There were no immediate reports of damage , and hotel clerks contacted by CNN reported only mild shaking . One front desk clerk in Aceh said a few hotel guests went outside when the quake hit , but most were n't awakened . The region is highly active seismically , and a magnitude 9.1 quake in December 2004 generated a tsunami that killed people as far away as eastern Africa . The death toll from the combined disaster topped 280,000 in a dozen countries , most of them in Indonesia . CNN 's Kathy Quiano contributed to this report .
NEW : Indonesian authorities issued the warning . Witnesses report only minor shaking on land . The magnitude 7.3 earthquake was felt more than 250 km off Sumatra .