Indian coastline on alert after earthquake hits Indonesia

India sounded a freash alert to people along its eastern coast on Thursday, a day after a tsunami warning by Indonesia.The cyclone warning centre at Visakhapatnam has warned state agencies to get ready for any contingency.

Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh), Sept 13 : India sounded a freash alert to people along its eastern coast on Thursday, a day after a tsunami warning by Indonesia.The cyclone warning centre at Visakhapatnam has warned state agencies to get ready for any contingency.

"The coastline of India is likely to be affected though exact information Tsunami occurrence of progression is not available. It is felt that all government organisations and relevant departments and local bodies may take necessary steps to safeguard the people and the property along the coast," said T. Venkateswara Rao, Director of the Cyclone Warning Centre.

An earthquake of magnitude 8.4 that hit South Sumatra on Wednesday is the largest of four quakes of magnitude of 8 or above that have hit worldwide in 2007.

The Met department issued the warning after another earthquake struck off the coast of West Sumatra on Thursday measured 6.7 on the Richter scale and was at a depth of 46 km.

Apprehensive fishermen withdrew from the sea in the wake of the latest warning.

Indonesia on Thursday lifted its tsunami warning.

In December 2004, an earthquake triggered tsunami in Indonesia left over 250,000 people killed and a trial of destruction in the South East Asian region.

ANI