Magnitude 6.5 earthquake strikes Indian Ocean near Andaman Islands

A magnitude 6.5 earthquake struck the Indian Ocean, but no tsunami warnings or advisories were issued, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).

The earthquake occurred at 1:41 a.m. local time on Tuesday and was centered near India’s Andaman and Nicobar Islands at a depth of 6.2 miles (10 kilometers), USGS said.

The epicenter was located about 58 miles (94 kilometers) west of Campbell Bay in Great Nicobar Island and approximately 172 miles (276 kilometers) northwest of Banda Aceh, Indonesia.

No tsunami warnings or advisories were issued, indicating the earthquake did not meet the criteria for a tsunami threat.

An impact assessment from the USGS indicated that up to 25,000 people may have experienced weak or light shaking, with a low likelihood of casualties or damage.

The region surrounding the Andaman and Nicobar Islands lies along the Sunda megathrust, a major subduction zone where the Indo-Australian Plate converges with the Sunda Plate. This boundary is part of a broader seismic arc extending nearly 5,000 miles (8,000 km) and is responsible for frequent earthquakes and volcanic activity.

The ongoing tectonic motion in this area has produced several large subduction zone earthquakes in recent decades, including the 2004 magnitude 9.1 earthquake that triggered a catastrophic tsunami across the Indian Ocean.