Tsunami alert withdrawn

Amid panic throughout the country's eastern coast, the Centre has withdrawn the tsunami alert.

Late in the night in New Delhi, home ministry spokesperson Onkar Kedia said the alert-- issued to Andaman and Nicobar Islands soon after a massive earthquake hit Indonesia--stood withdrawn.

All coastal states had earlier been cautioned to take precautionary measures like asking fishermen not to venture out in the sea, home ministry sources said. Personnel of the armed forces have been alerted to remain prepared for evacuation in case of emergency.

A powerful earthquake off western Indonesia at 4.40 pm triggered warnings of a potentially destructive tsunami across much of the Indian Ocean region, including India and Sri Lanka. The Hawaii-based Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre also issued a tsunami warning for wide areas of the region.

The home ministry in a crash message to Andaman chief secretary said there was a possibility of the Indonesian quake triggering a tsunami in Andaman and Nicobar islands.

The message was also sent to the relief commissioners of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Puducherry, besides Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

A massive earthquake off the coast of Sumatra on December 26, 2004, had triggered a tsunami that killed thousands in the Andaman Islands.