E-Paper
Earthquake hits Andaman Islands
A 6.7 magnitude earthquake strikes off Andaman Islands on Friday, but there are no immediate reports of damage or injuries.
A 6.7 magnitude earthquake struck off Andaman Islands on Friday, but there were no immediate reports of damage or injuries, officials and police said.
The quake, which was centered some 75 miles (120 kilometers) southwest of the Andaman capital, Port Blair, caused panic among residents, but caused no damage or injuries, said Ranjit Narayan, the director general of police in the Andamans.
The Indian Meteorological Department said the quake, which they described as moderate, struck at 1140 GMT on Friday at a depth of 6 miles (10 kilometers).
The Japan Meteorological Agency issued a bulletin saying there was "a very small possibility of a destructive local tsunami in the Indian Ocean."
However, Narayan said no local tsunami warning had been issued. The remote islands off the east coast of India were among the many areas devastated by the December 26, 2004, Indian Ocean tsunami, which was triggered by a 9.1 magnitude earthquake near Indonesia. The official death toll across India was 10,749. Another 5,640 people, mostly in the Andaman and Nicobar islands, are listed as missing, presumed dead.
