Port Blair— An earthquake measuring 5.4 on the Richter scale struck India’s Andaman and Nicobar Islands at 12:06 pm (IST) on Sunday, according to the National Center for Seismology (NCS). The tremors were recorded at a depth of 90 km, but no reports of casualties or property damage have emerged so far.
Different international seismological agencies, however, reported varying magnitudes. The German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ) recorded the quake at 6.07 magnitude with a shallow depth of 10 km, while the United States Geological Survey (USGS) reported it at 5.5 magnitude.
Experts noted that shallow earthquakes tend to be more destructive than deeper ones, as seismic waves from shallow tremors reach the surface faster, causing stronger ground shaking and higher chances of damage and casualties.
The Andaman and Nicobar Islands are located in one of the world’s most seismically active regions and fall under Zone V — the highest-risk seismic category in India. This zone also includes parts of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, northeastern India, North Bihar, and the Rann of Kutch in Gujarat, as per the Ministry of Earth Sciences.
Authorities are monitoring the situation closely, though initial reports suggest minimal impact on life and infrastructure.
