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Another quake in Kerala

TRIVANDRUM — Mild tremor was felt in the Lakshwadeep sea near Trivandrum city on Saturday evening.

Director of the Centre of Earth Science Studies (CESS), Dr M G Kurien ruled out any chance for a tsunami after the 4.7 magnitude quake with epicentre about 340km South South West off Colombo and 10km below the seabed.

“The present indications was that there was no possibility of the tremor triggering tsunami waves,” he said.

People in parts of Trivandrum said they felt vibrations at around 4.30pm. However no damage to property was reported.

This is the second consecutive day when the state reported mild tremors. Earlier on Friday the state recorded magnitude 2.8 and 3.2 tremors in Idukki district.

The quakes reportedly affected the over 100-year-old Mullaiperiyar Dam forcing Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy to sent a team of officials led by Revenue Minister Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishanan for the inspection.

“I do not think there is cause of any worry, but it is being viewed seriously,” said the chief minister.

Revenue Minister, who has the charge of Disaster Management, will be visiting the dam along with the officials and experts and would be submitting a report to the government, he said.

According to S C Shenoi of Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS), the tremor occurred at 4.61 degrees North Latitude and 79.43 degree East Longitude.

Ruling out the possibility of the tremor triggering tsunami waves, he told a Malayalam TV channel that in normal cases, only sea tremors of intensity of 6.5 are capable of unleashing tsunami waves.

Though scientists discounted the chances of the tremor unleashing tidal waves, picnikers at Sanghamugham beach in Thiruvananthapuram left the seashore as soon the news of the tremor spread. —