The earthquake hit the region at 8:45 am (India Standard Time), said India’s National Center for Seismology.
The epicenter of the quake was at 84 Km deep in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands (Lat: 7.6 N & Long: 94.5 E), according to United States Geological Survey (USGS).
The Indian National Center for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) stated that the earthquake shouldn’t result in a tsunami because it didn’t result in a rise in sea levels.
Officials have also reported that there were no immediate reports of loss of life or even damage to property. But, the localities did feel the tremors.
The Andaman and Nicobar islands are prone to seismic activity. It was even witness to 12 earthquakes over the span of 24 hours on November 9, 2015 — all going measuring 5 or more on the Richter Scale.
The largest earthquake recorded in the area was in December 2005 that hit the North Indian Ocean and the Bay of Bengal. The Andaman and Nicobar were the worst hit territory in India reporting a loss of 4,486 people.
This is all because it’s located near the boundary of the Indian plate and the Burmese microplate marked by the Andaman Trench.
The north-east end of Port Blair is also home to the only volcanoes in India — the Barren Island Volcano and Narcondam.