Panic enveloped the Kenyan coast at Monday night as the world feared for another tsunami following a strong earthquake that struck off the coast of northern Sumatra, Indonesia, local media reported Tuesday.

Residents and tourists along the Kenyan coast feared that should a tsunami effect occur they would be hit by tidal waves, local newspaper Daily Nation reported on its website.

Speaking from the southeastern coast of Kenya, a Mombasa resident Lucy Karume accused the government of failing to inform the residents and tourists of the impending tragedy.

"It is now confirmed we are on the brink of tragedy for the second time and there is no information from the government. We should be informed," she said.

However, in coastal city Malindi, a local official said the government was closely monitoring and had issued an alert to all tourist hotels. Local police officers went around the hotels and asked managers not to let their guests go to the beach.

A massive earthquake at Monday midnight struck off the coast of Sumatra close to where a December 26 quake triggered a tsunami that caused tremendous casualties across Asia. The Monday earthquake killed at least 300 people and destroyed hundreds buildings in the region but it did not cause quake-spawned waves.

In the December tsunami, the east coast of Africa was hit with Somalia losing the biggest number of people -- 298. Ten Tanzanians died in the wave and one in Kenya.

Source: Xinhua