INDIAN OCEAN: India's Andaman and Nicobar islands, devastated by last year's tsunami, were shaken by a strong earthquake yesterday but officials said there was no danger of new killer waves hitting the Indian Ocean archipelago.
Thailand exercised caution and declared a tsunami alert but cancelled it less than 90 minutes later, while Indian officials said there was no danger of a huge wave like the one that hit last December.
"There is no tsunami warning from the Indian side," Indian Science and Technology Ministry spokesman Sitanshu Kar said.
"The government is asking people to remain calm. The essential precondition for a tsunami is that the earthquake should be of 7.5 magnitude and this is below it."
Sunday's earthquake came seven months after the December 26th tsunami, triggered by a 9.15 magnitude earthquake. Some 227,000 people died or remain missing.
The quake hit the area off India's eastern coast at 15.42GMT measuring 7.0, according to the US Geological Survey which initially urged authorities near its epicentre to be aware of the risk of local tsunamis. But it also said they could assume the danger had passed if no tsunamis were seen within an hour of the tremor, which hit at a depth of 10km.