Moderate intensity quake jolts Nicobar Islands

Port Blair, Jul 26: An earthquake measuring 5.9 on the Richter scale struck India's Nicobar Islands early this morning.

But there were no reports of casualties or property damage, disaster control room officials told sources today.

The tremor was focused at 07.4 degrees north latitude and 92.3 degrees east longitude, the release added.

According to reports from Car Nicobar and Great Nicobar islands no islander felt the quake which was recorded near Misha islands is Nicobar District, nearly 420 KM (260 miles) away from Port Blair.

''We have not seen any reports of damage to property or any deaths from the area,'' Police Control Room officials reported. An undersea quake off the Indonesian coast measuring above 9.0 on the Richter scale triggered gigantic tsunamis in December 2004 that claimed 454 lives in the Andaman and Nicobar chain of islands.

According to official figures 3,073 people are still listed as missing.

UNI