Nicobar quake: No cause for alarm, says Centre

New Delhi, : The Centre late on Sunday night said there was no cause of any alarm following the earthquke in Nicobar Islands region and it was not issuing any Tsunami alert as that could lead to "unnecessary panic".



"Police and the revenue officials in Andaman and Nicobar Islands are alert and are keeping a close watch on the situation," Union Secretary, Border Management, D K Sankaran, said.



He said the Disaster Management Control Room has been activated and the Home Ministry was in touch with the concerned officials in Andaman and Nicobar and Tamil Nadu.



Sankaran said he had spoken over telephone to Lt. Governor of Andaman and Nicobar, Ram Kapse, and the Relief Commissioner.



"We do not want to create unnecessary panic by issuing any advisory," Sankaran said, adding the control room will continue to remain in touch with authorities in the Islands and Tamil Nadu.



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 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 said in Port Blair said 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.





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