Monday, July 25 2005 12:45 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Port Blair: Seven months after Tsunami devastated vast tracts of coastal India, a major under-sea earthquake, measuring 7.2 on the Richter scale, struck the Nicobar Islands last night (July 24, 2005) but no loss of life or damage to properties were reported.

In Delhi, the Centre said it was not issuing any Tsunami alert as that could lead to unnecessary panic but a close watch was being kept on the situation.

The epicentre of the quake, experienced at 21:12 hours, was 60 kms southwest Nicobar Islands and 420 kms from Port Blair, the Indian Meterological Department (IMD) said in a statement.

A K Bhatnagar, Deputy Director General of IMD, said in New Delhi that any quake between 7.2 and 7.5 may trigger Tsunami but there was no rise in sea level in the Andaman and Nicobar islands.

Science and Technology Minister said in Delhi that there has been no unusual activity in the sea and there was no need to panic.

Andaman and Nicobar Governor Ram Kapse said in Port Blair that there has been no loss of life or destruction in the group of islands.

He, however, said an alert has been sounded across the island and people have been asked to stay away from seashores.

Union Home Secretary (Border Management) D K Sankaran said, "We do not want to create unnecessary panic by issuing any advisory", adding, "However that police and revenue officials in Andaman and Nicobar Islands are keeping a close watch on the situation."

He said the Disaster Management Control room has been activated and would continue to remain in touch with authorities in the Islands and Tamil Nadu.

The quake, however, set off widespread panic among residents in Port Blair who rushed out of their homes here and other parts of the islands where an estimated 10,000 people had been killed in the December 26 Tsunami last year.

The tremors came in the wake of unusually high tide in the sea for the last two days leading to submerging of many low-lying areas.

After the major quake, which was felt in the entire island range, there were repeated aftershocks, mainly in the Nicobar group of islands in the south.

Defence sources in Car Nicobar islands also said there was no damage at any place although repeated shocks were felt.

The Indian Air Force base is located at Car Nicobar and it had suffered maximum damage in the December Tsunami in which nearly 100 defence personnel had died.

Even at Katchal island, which lies between Car Nicobar and Campbell Bay, and where maximum casualty was recorded after Tsunami, there was no report of any damage.

Official sources in Port Blair said that the people in Cambell Bay, which is located in the southernmost end of Andaman and Nicobar islands, were contacted and nothing alarming has been reported from anywhere.

An AFP report from Washington, quoting the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre, warned that earthquakes of this size sometimes generate local Tsunamis that can be destructive along coasts located within a few hundred kilometres of the earthquake epicenter."

A Bangkok report, by the agency, said that Thai authorities issued a Tsunami warning for the country's southwest coast, including the famous tourist resort island of Phuket, following the quake in Nicobar Islands.

However, Sri Lanka said it faced no Tsunami threat although quakes were felt in several parts of the island nation, reports from Colombo said.

Mild tremors were felt in some parts of Chennai city and coastal Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram and Srikakulam districts of Andhra Pradesh at 9.12 pm last night (July 24, 2005).

A Chennai report said the tremors were felt in Adayar, Besant Nagar, Mylapore, Anna Nagar and Elephant Gate areas around 9.12 pm, triggering panic among the people.

At first, there was panic of a Tsunami in the three districts of Andhra Pradesh but the people later calmed down on being assured by authorities.