Over 15 quakes in Andaman sea raise tsunami concerns among experts
New Delhi: Geoscientists and disaster response organizations are concerned about the possibility of a tsunami after a series of more than 15 mild earthquakes occurred in the Andaman Sea recently. Authorities, however says that there is still minimal imminent risk.
The region lies above the highly active Sunda Megathrust- the Indo-Australian and Eurasian tectonic plates. This fault zone produces earthquakes frequently linked to subduction and was the cause of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.
The region is "a pressure cooker," said Rakesh Sharma, a geophysicist at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT). Explaining further he said that the clusters of small earthquakes could indicate the accumulation of tectonic energy. Though not all such clusters lead to tsunamis, the current activity is being closely monitored. “Mother Earth is talking, we just need to listen carefully and act accordingly,” said Sharma.
“Even a magnitude 6 earthquake at shallow depth with vertical displacement could cause a local tsunami,” warned Priya Das of the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS). It has also modernised its sensor network and collaborating with international organisations, in order to monitor sea level fluctuations in real time.
Local administrations in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Thailand's Phuket province and Myanmar's coastal districts have reviewed evacuation plans and the National Disaster Warning Centre (NDWC) of Thailand is organising awareness campaigns.
Lt. Col. Somchai Rattanapong, a Thai disaster response official, warned citizens not to panic, but to stay alert and informed and said “Preparedness is key,” he said.
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Niqab incident: Nitish Kumar perhaps revealing his true colours, says J-K CM
Srinagar (PTI): Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday criticised his Bihar counterpart over the niqab incident and said that Nitish Kumar might be slowly revealing his true nature.
"Nitish Kumar, who was once considered a secular leader, may be slowly showing his true colours," Abdullah told reporters here on the sidelines of a function.
Abdullah said Kumar removing the face veil of a Muslim woman doctor was wrong and cannot be justified by any means.
"We have seen this kind of incident here several years ago. Have you forgotten how Mehbooba Mufti removed the burqa of a legitimate voter inside a polling station? That act was wrong, and this act (of Kumar) is also wrong.
"If the (Bihar) chief minister did not want to hand over the order to her (Muslim woman), they could have kept her aside. However, to humiliate her like this is totally wrong," the Jammu and Kashmir chief minister said.
Kumar stirred a huge controversy after he removed the face veil of a Muslim woman at a function earlier this week.
