Sri Lanka says no tsunami from quake in sea off east

COLOMBO, July 18 (Reuters) Sri Lankan authorities today warned its eastern and southeastern districts of a 5.2 magnitude earthquake in the Bay of Bengal off the island's east coast, but said there was no tsunami.

The US Geological Survey said the 5.2 magnitude quake ocurred 510 km east of Colombo today morning at a depth of 35 km.

''There's no tsunami at all. I have mentioned to Batticaloa and Hambantota it has occurred. There's no reason to scare people. It is just for altering purposes,'' said Keerthi Ekanayake, coordinator of the National Disaster Management Centre.

Sri Lanka is still recovering from the impact of the devastating 2004 tsunami, which killed around 35,000 people along its shores and around 230,000 in total around the Indian Ocean.

REUTERS PY VV1205