A high alert has been sounded in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands following a tsunami warning after a powerful 7.2 magnitude earthquake hit beneath the Indian Ocean off the coast of Indonesia's Java island on Monday. The Union Home Ministry however, denied issuing any tsunami warning.
According to the Home Ministry, the Disaster Management Authority responsible for tsunami alerts decided not to issue any warning in the absence of any threat from Monday's earthquake.
All the points in the archipelago, mainly the southern tip, which is nearer to Indonesia, have been alerted after a meeting of the Disaster Management Committee in the island, a source in the administration said.
The local met office, however, said no tremor was felt at any point in the island. Vulnerable areas like the Indira Point, the southern most tip of India, islands in the Cambell Bay, Sachchal island and the entire Car Nicobar island have been put on high alert, the source said.
Coastal districts in West Bengal were also put on alert in view of the tsunami warning sounded in the Andaman and Nicobar islands.
"We have alerted all police stations in the coastal areas of the state and asked them to issue necessary instructions to the concerned agencies," state's Inspector General of Police (Law and Order) Raj Kanojia said. Reports said that alert was sounded in the sea resort of Digha and Sankarpur harbour.
Defence establishments in Andaman & Nicobar Islands have also been put on high alert following the tsunami warning. Top police officials and SDMs have been asked to be alert to meet any eventuality as the people living in coastal areas has been asked to stay away from the sea, while helicopters were on aerial survey off the eastern coast areas.
Reports from Java said the under-sea quake created a two-metre tsunami which crashed into a beach resort on Java island killing at least three people and causing extensive damage to hotels and houses.
A similar under-sea quake off the coast of Indonesia in December, 2004 had created a massive tsunami which had crashed into the Andaman and Nicobar islands resulting in large-scale death and destruction.