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7.6-magnitude quake hits in Indian Ocean

Updated: 2009-08-11 06:17

WASHINGTON: The U.S. Geological Survey is reporting a huge 7.6 earthquake in the Indian Ocean about 160 miles (257 kilometers) north of Port Blair in India's Andaman Islands.

Related reading:  A strong earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.6 jolted eastern and central Japan early on Tuesday, throwing food and bottles from shop shelves and rattling houses across Tokyo.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said Monday that a regional tsunami watch is in place for India, Myanmar, Indonesia, Thailand and Bangladesh.

The center says the quake has the potential to generate destructive tsunamis in the region, though it cautions that it is not known if such a tsunami has occurred.

The center says its bulletin is only issued as advice to government agencies, which must make their own decisions about what action to take.

But it warns that earthquakes of this size have the potential to generate destructive tsunamis along coasts usually no more than 620 miles (1,000 kilometers) from the epicenter.

The earthquake was reported to have struck about 225 miles (362 kilometers) south-southwest of Myanmar, 510 miles (820 kilometers) west of Bangkok, and 1,420 miles (2,285 kilometers) southeast of New Delhi.