Chennai: Panic gripped coastal areas of the city for some, especially among fishermen, following reports of a tsunami warning after a mild tremor here early this morning due to a powerful 7.8 magnitude earthquake off the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
Soon after the rumours spread about a Tsunami warning,
most fishermen in coastal areas moved out of their houses to
safer places. They also did not venture out to sea for a
while.
However, once it was ascertained that no Tsunami warning
had been issued, the fishermen heaved a sigh of relief.
The Indian Meteorological Department here said the
tremors in the city were triggered by the high intensity
earthquake in the Indian Ocean at 1.26 AM, about 270 km north
of Port Blair in Andaman islands.
Sources said the department was flooded with calls from
anxious residents who wanted to know if a quake had struck in
the city.
Tremors were felt at several areas in the city,
including Harbour area, Anna Nagar, Mylapore, Besant
Nagar and Nungambakkam.
Fire department sources said no casualty or damage was
reported in any part of the city.
Bureau Report
First Published: Tuesday, August 11, 2009, 12:49