Al Ain: There is no immediate threat of tsunami hitting the UAE as the initial warning issued for most of the country in the Indian Ocean and Arabian Sea after the 8.6-magnitude quake near Indonesia on Wednesday has tamed down.
Indonesia and Southeast Asian nations issued a tsunami warning after a strong earthquake hit waters off westernmost Aceh province on Wednesday.
The US Geological Survey said that the quake was centered 33 kilometres beneath the ocean floor around 495 kilometres from the provincial capital of Banda Aceh.
UAE seismologists has, however, ruled out any threat to the UAE coastline saying that the quake was very deep and failed to generate a massive tsunami. The region has, however, experienced a series of aftershocks, sparking fears.
The National Centre of Meteorology and Seismology (NCMS) has not issued any such warning in the country, but has been keeping a close eye on the earthquake and the situation developing.
A massive earthquake in the same Indonesian region in 2004 had triggered a 30-meter high tsunami that killed some 170,000 people.
Adil Hassan, a seismologist, said Wednesday's earthquake is a massive one but it had occurred very deep in the earth. The energy it generated has faded away due to the depth and the ocean. It was also a different type of earthquake as compared to the one that occurred in 2004.
Meanwhile, UAE government is in direct contact with the Philippines, Indonesia, and Thailand authorities to check the safety of UAE nationals in the quake-hit region. UAE nationals have been advised to stay away from the affected region, particularly the coastal areas. Emiratis in the quake-hit areas have also been advised to return back if they have no urgent business there.
The NCMS said this kind of earthquake may cause tsunami in the area and this is the strongest earthquake to hit the region since 2004. "The UAE will not be affected by this earthquake," said an official at the centre.
