Myanmar issued tsunami warning Wednesday afternoon two hours after a very strong earthquake measuring 8.6 on the Richter scale jolted off the west coast of northern Sumatra at 08:38:30 GMT in Sumatra.

According to Myanmar's Meteorology and Hydrology Department ( MHD), Tsunami is expected to arrive Myanmar coastal areas within two hours but said it would be only safe after 7:00 p.m. (local time) if tsunami is not developed which is expected to build up to a height of 6 meters.

People living in the low-lying coastal areas are asked to move to higher land.

The coastal areas expected to be affected by tsunami are Cheduba Island, Pyin Kayaing, Sittway, Magway and Yangon.

According to local sources, hotels in Ngapali, Chaungtha and Ngwe Saung coastal resort in western Rakhine state and Ayeyawaddy region have closed as part of the preventive measures and vessels which sailed off the coast have returned to dock at bank on getting weather forecast information.

The Sumatra quake was felt in Myanmar's Mandalay, Sittway, Kyaukphyu, Laputta, Chaungtha, Bogalay, Maubin, Bathein and Pyapon.

According to U.S. Geological Survey, the epicenter, with a depth of 33.00 km, was initially determined to be at 2.0430 degrees north latitude and 92.5180 degrees east longitude.