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Tsunami Virtually Ruled Out: Sasidhar Reddy

"No waves noticed so far in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, tsunami is virtually ruled out," says National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) vice-president Sasidhar Reddy. But just in case, six teams of 40 people each from the National Disaster Relief Force are positioned at Hindon near Delhi and at Chennai, in case they need to be rushed to the Andamans.

According to Home Secretary, Govt. of India, "As of now there are no signs of Tsunami, The Centre is in constant touch with Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu & Odisha. No cause for panic along India's coastline. Government is ready to deal with any eventuality." "However, some people have been evacuated from south Andaman as a precautionary measure," he added. The tsunami warning has officially been downgraded for other parts of India. By 5.30 pm, an all-clear is likely to be formally announced, say sources.

Earlier, following the 8.9 magnitude Indonasian earthquake, tremors were felt in Vizag, Chennai, Bangalore, Thiruvananthapuram and several other cities across south India. Several coastal regions of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Andaman and Nicobar Islands being put on tsunami alert. There were no immediate reports of damage to property or loss of lives.