5.4 Magnitude Earthquake Hits Andaman Sea, No Reports Of Damage

A moderate earthquake measuring 5.4 on the Richter scale struck the Andaman Sea on Sunday afternoon at 12:06 pm, with its epicentre located 120 kilometres east-southeast of Port Blair at a depth of 10 kilometres, the National Centre for Seismology reported. Mild tremors were felt across several parts of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, including Port Blair, Havelock, and Diglipur, prompting residents to briefly evacuate homes and offices as a precautionary measure. No tsunami warning was issued, and mobile networks remained operational throughout the archipelago.

Local administration officials confirmed there were no immediate reports of loss of life or damage to property. Disaster management teams were placed on high alert, with rapid response units dispatched to vulnerable coastal and low-lying areas. “We have received no distress calls so far; all government buildings, jetties, and communication towers are intact,” a senior official from the Andaman and Nicobar Disaster Management Authority told PTI, adding that patrolling has been intensified along sensitive zones.

The Andaman and Nicobar Islands lie in Seismic Zone V, one of India’s most earthquake-prone regions due to the active subduction zone where the Indian plate slides beneath the Burma plate. The archipelago has experienced over 1,200 earthquakes above magnitude 5.0 since 2000, including the catastrophic 9.1-magnitude event of December 26, 2004, that triggered the Indian Ocean tsunami. Sunday’s tremor follows a pattern of frequent moderate seismic activity in the Andaman Sea trench.

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Authorities have urged residents to remain vigilant and adhere to the “Drop, Cover, and Hold On” protocol during future events. Community awareness programmes conducted post-2004 have significantly improved preparedness, with most schools and hospitals completing evacuation drills within three minutes of the shaking. Seismic monitoring stations across the islands continue to track aftershock possibilities.

As calm returns to the islands, the administration has activated its 24-hour control room and advised fishermen to avoid deep-sea operations until further notice. With no structural damage reported and essential services functioning normally, daily life has resumed across the Union Territory barely hours after the jolt, underscoring the region’s hard-earned resilience to nature’s recurring fury.

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