Brief tsunami watch issued after major quake off Nicobar

Port Blair/Chennai, Jun 13 (PTI) A major earthquake with
a magnitude of 7.8 on the Richter scale shook Andaman and
Nicobar Islands early Sunday, triggering a tsunami alert which
was later withdrawn.
No casualties have been reported due to the quake,
effects of which were also felt in Chennai city in south India
and some other coastal areas.
The Central Seismological Observatory Centre, Shillong,
said the quake took place at around 12.57 am at a spot off the
west coast of Nicobar Island in the Indian Ocean.
The epicentre of the quake was located at latitude 7.9
degree north and longitude 91.9 degree east, the observatory
said.
Deputy Commissioner of Nicobar district T Srikanth said a
tsunami watch alert was issued after the major earthquake
jolted the island. "We had given a tsunami watch alert for
about one and a half hours. We have revoked it. The situation
is normal and it is being monitored," he said.
No loss of life or damage to property was reported,
Srikanth said.
The Hawaii-based Pacific Tsunami Warning Center had
issued a warning for the entire Indian Ocean region which
later was downgraded to a warning for India and was
subsequently called off.
"Sea level readings indicate that a significant tsunami
was not generated," the centre said in a bulletin.
Moderate tremors were also felt in several parts of
Chennai and its suburbs for a few seconds.
However, no casualty or damage to property were reported,
police said.
People in panic rushed out of their houses at
Gopalapuram, Kodambakkam, Porur, Thiruvanmiyur, Anna Nagar and
several other places following the tremor, they said. PTI