No Phuket tsunami alert after Sumatra earthquake

Phuket Gazette

The Thai Meteorological Department reported that the earthquake struck at a depth of 60 kilometers. Photo: TMD

PHUKET: -- No tsunami alert has been issued for Phuket or other provinces along the Andaman Coast following a 5.2 earthquake off the northern tip of Sumatra, Indonesia, at 10:50am today, the head of the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Phuket office has confirmed.

“The National Disaster Warning Center has not issued a tsunami warning alert. We expect that the earthquake will not trigger a tsunami that will affect the Andaman region, “ DDPM-Phuket chief San Janthawong told the Phuket Gazette.

Although the earthquake struck 122 kilometers from Banda Aceh, which lost more than 100,000 people to the 2004 tsunami, Mr San said this morning’s earthquake was no cause for alarm.

“This earthquake measured only 5.2 on the Richter scale and was 60 kilometers deep, so we believe that it will not affect us. However, we are monitoring the area and we are well prepared to take action if necessary,” he said.

Although the Thai Meteorological Department (TMD) also reported the earthquake struck at a depth of 60km, concurring with Mr San’s report, the USGS global earthquake monitoring site initially reported that the quake struck at a depth of only 10km.

Source: http://www.phuketgaz...uake-19778.html

-- Phuket Gazette 2012-12-22

We have an old saying,better safe than sorry, it doesn't have to be a panic warning,but at least let people know it happened, considering the last disaster!

We have an old saying,better safe than sorry, it doesn't have to be a panic warning,but at least let people know it happened, considering the last disaster!

True, but this was a 5.2. Not a 9.1-9.3, which was the third largest earthquake ever recorded.

We have an old saying,better safe than sorry, it doesn't have to be a panic warning,but at least let people know it happened, considering the last disaster!

Sorry, diagree with you there. If there is no reason for a warning or alarm, why issue a warning or alarm? Inevitably it will lead to panic and, if again false, damage the credibility of a future warning or alarm.

i think 60 km is to deep but if 10 km or less would cause some problems for sure .

The depth of the quake is not the issue.

An earthquake in horizontal direction does not form waves, but in vertical direction for sure it does.

If there is a earthquake in that area higher than 7 on the Richter scale their is a warning to all officials, police and rescue to be standby and prepare in case of.

I totally agree with Stevennl, it is better to alert only officials and keep a good eye on what is happening. As soon waves are formed and all rescue, police etc are on alert there is time enough to sound the alarms.

If they sound the alarm for every little quake within weeks nobody will respond to the emergency signal anymore and the problems when it is for real will only be bigger.

I was in Khoa Lak at 2004 and live in Ao Nang since than. We had a fair share of warnings the last years and luckily it stayed with warnings.

Again this was a 5.2. Not a strong quake, period. I was sitting in my dining room in California a bit over two months ago and there was a quake that was about the same magnitude and I didn't bother to even get out of my chair... Possibly if the epicenter was right under you, it would cause some damage to structures but won't cause a tsunami.