India has ruled out any tidal wave hitting its eastern coast, nearly two
hours after a massive earthquake off Indonesia triggered a tsnumai
watch in the Indian Ocean.

By early evening, the National
Disaster Management Authority said there was no longer a likelihood of a
tsunami forming anywhere in the Indian Ocean.

NDMA vice president Sasidhra Reddy said no waves had so far been noticed in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

A
tsunami watch was issued for countries across the Indian Ocean on
Wednesday after a large earthquake hit waters off Indonesia, sending
residents pouring from their homes in panic.

Tremors were felt in several cities in India where a tsunami warning has been issued for the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

The
US Geological Survey said the 8.7-magnitude quake was centred 20 miles
(33 kilometres) beneath the ocean floor around 269 miles (434
kilometers) from Aceh's provincial capital.

The Pacific Tsunami
Warning Centre in Hawaii said a tsunami watch was in effect for
Indonesia, India, Sri Lanka, Australia, Myanmar, Thailand, the Maldives
and other Indian Ocean islands, Malaysia, Pakistan, Somalia, Oman, Iran,
Bangladesh, Kenya, South Africa and Singapore.

A tsunami watch means there is the potential for a tsunami, not that one is imminent.

"Earthquakes
of this size have the potential to generate a widespread destructive
tsunami that can affect coastlines across the entire Indian Ocean
basin," the US Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre said.

The US
Geological Survey said an 8.7-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast
of Sumatra at 1408 IST at a depth of 33 kilometers. USGS had initially
reported it as an 8.9-magnitude quake