Indonesia earthquake: India on alert but not in danger

12 NDRF teams kept on standby

New Delhi: Six teams of National Disaster Response Force have been kept in readiness at Chennai and an equal number moved to Hindon airport to deal with any eventuality in the wake of today’s massive temblors off the western coast of northern Sumatra in Indonesia.

A Home Ministry spokesperson said the Andaman Administration has moved people from Nicobar side to safer areas as a precautionary measure.

The ministry has asked the Chief Secretaries of Andaman and Nicobar Islands and all eastern coastal states to issue an alert,the spokesperson said in a statement.

The precautionary drill was initiated in the wake of an alert issued by the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) following an earthquake of 8.5 magnitude on the Richter scale at 1409 hrs (IST) in Indonesia today. It was revised from the earlier figure of 8.9 magnitude. This was followed by another temblor.

The eastern coastal states have been asked to advise fishermen not to venture out in the sea,the spokesperson said.

Earlier in the day,Union Home Secretary R K Singh reviewed the situation in the aftermath of the quake.

After the meeting,Singh said there was no cause for panic along India’s coastline and the Government is ready to deal with any eventuality.

After speaking to Chief Secretaries of Odisha and Tamil Nadu,Singh said as of now there are no signs of tsunami. In the meantime,NDRF teams have been deployed and kept on standby as a precautionary measure.

“Six teams have moved to Chennai. In addition,six more teams have moved to Hindon airport. Airlift will be organised by the Air Force in case these teams need to be flown,” the spokesperson said.

Vibrations of Indonesian quake felt in Andhra Pradesh: NGRI

Hyderabad: The National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI) here today said that no earthquake occurred in Andhra Pradesh following the Indonesian temblor,even as tremors are reportedly felt in the coastal districts of the state.

“No quake,in fact,occurred in Andhra Pradesh. The vibrations of the massive quake in Indonesia were only felt in Andhra Pradesh,” a scientist at the city-based National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI) told PTI.

According to reports trickling in from Visakhapatnam,panic-stricken people in the coastal districts of Visakhapatnam,Vizianagaram and Srikakulam rushed out of their homes as soon as they felt the tremors.

In Vijayawada too residents came out of their homes and ran for safety.

“People of Andhra Pradesh need not worry about the earthquake. But they should worry about tsunami. A quake has probably generated a tsunami. It is better about to be away from the coast for at least a few hours,” the scientist added.

No tsunami threat in Mumbai: Chavan

Mumbai: Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan today said that there was no Tsunami threat in Mumbai after an earthquake of 8.9 magnitude hit waters off western coast of northern Sumatra in Indonesia.

Talking to reporters,Chavan said an alert has been received from Hyderabad-based centre for National tsunami warning as a precaution.

“The alert will continue till further instructions are received. But,there is no threat in Mumbai,” he added.

Earlier,the Met department here said an earthquake measuring 3.4 on the Richter scale was recorded in the Arabian Sea.

“The shock registered at 18.6 degree latitude and 71.3 degree longitude in the Arabian Sea,” Met department director Rajeev Nair said.

The epicentre was 155 km from Mumbai,he said. Also,there were reports of tremors in some parts of North Mumbai but the Met department said these could not be verified so far.

MAPS functioning normal,but on alert: official

Chennai: Operations at Madras Atomic Power Station (MAPS) in Kalpakkam near here continued to function normally,even as coastal areas in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh has been put on alert following a massive quake hitting Indonesia.

“We were to halt operations following the Tsunami alert. But,after checking with authorities in Andamans,we continued with the operations at the plant,” K Ramamurthy,Station Director,MAPS told PTI.

However,the plant is on high alert,he said.

Two units with a capacity of 220 MW each are producing electricity at MAPS,adjoining Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (IGCAR) and Bharatiya Nabhikiya Vidyut Nigam Limited (BHAVINI) in the nuclear complex some 80 km from here.

Navy,IAF on high alert to meet any post-quake tsunami

New Delhi: The Indian navy and air force have put their warships and aircraft on a state of high alert for carrying out relief and rescue operations in the event of any possible post-quake tsunami situation.

The IAF has put two C-130J Hercules aircraft on ‘Hot Stand-by mode’ at the Hindon air base with 80 National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and will be flying for Port Blair with 10 tonnes of relief equipment,IAF spokesperson Sqn Ldr Priya Joshi said here.

She said one Il-76 aircraft from Chandigarh and two AN-32 and Dornier aircraft are on stand by in southern sector for disaster relief operations.

Earlier,defence sources had said the two aircraft would be flying to Port Blair in a short while with NDRF personnel and relief material on board.

The Navy on its part has put its warships and bases in port Blair on high alert mode soon after the earthquake in Indonesia.

As a precautionary measure,all the warships deployed in Port Blair were sailed out from the anchorage.

“Eastern Naval Command is also preparing with suitable ships with disaster relief teams embarked to affected areas,if required. Other naval ships in the Bay of Bengal have also been alerted,” Navy officials said here.

The relief material carried by the NDRF personnel would include medicines,tents,blankets and sniffer dogs and search and rescue equipment,they said.

A massive earthquake of 8.7 magnitude hit waters off Indonesia triggering tsunami fears across the Indian Ocean nations,including India.

Alert issued across Kerala

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala government today issued an alert across the state,particularly for the coastal belt,as most parts of the state experienced mild tremor in in the wake of a massive earthquake in Indonesia triggering fears of a tsunami.

Chief Minister Oommen Chandy,however,said there was no need for panic though the alert was issued just for the people and the authorities to maintain vigil.

Going by the reports received by the government by agencies like IMD,possibility of a tsunami could not be totally ruled out and people had been asked to keep a watch over the situation,Chandy told reporters after a cabinet meeting.

Chandy said as per IMD repsort,even if the tsunami strikes it would not be as intense as the one that had hit the state in 2004. Fishermen had been asked not to venture into sea for another four hours,Chandy said.

The dam sites and in the state were also under observation as there had been reports of waves having occurred in some of the reservoirs.

People in various parts of Kerala,including the state capital and Kochi,experienced mild tremors in the wake of the Indonesian quake.

In Kochi,panic prevailed for a while as people came out of offices and highrise buildings. However,no damage to buildings or other properties was reported from anywhere in the state.

People gather at Marina beach

Chennai: Even as panic gripped Chennaites following the massive earthquake in Indonesia today,it was a tough time for police to dissuade people hoping to see tsunami from gathering at the famous Marina beach.

Marina beach was hit by the 2004 killer tsunami.

“We want to see a live tsunami,” said an elderly woman who was among a large number of people assembled at the beach,noting the earlier warning that the tsunami was to hit Chennai around 1700 hours.

“There is no specific threat. It was a watch and alert. There is no likelihood of any tsunami in the Indian Ocean region,” National Disaster Management Authority Vice President Sashidhar Reddy told PTI in Delhi.

On a sleepy Sunday morning in 2004,giant tidal waves had consumed many morning walkers and youngsters playing on the sands with the salt foamed water changing the very looks of the otherwise serene Marina into that of a battle field.

Strong fibre boats and cars had been tossed up with the fury of the waves landng them on the busy Kamarajar Salai stretch.

Though policemen on vans were announcing on the public address system dissuading the people from going to the sea,many people gathered to see the tsunami,driven by their curiosity.

Many of the government offices,educational institutions and private companies were closed as the city experienced a second aftershock at around 4.45 pm.

Traffic on the roads was chocked as the flow of vehicles witnessed an immediate spurt after the news of tremors spread.

Several of the cell phone services were disrupted following the tremor.