Guide Note

A massive earthquake hit India's Andaman Islands on June 27, 2008. The U.S. Geological Survey said the 6.6 magnitude quake was centered about 75 miles from the capital of Port Blair.¹ There were no immediate reports of any damage or injuries.²

Fast Facts

1. Magnitude: 6.6¹
2. Hit: 5:40 p.m. local time¹
3. Aftershock registered 6.1 on the Richter Scale³
4. No tsunami warning issued²

The Andaman Islands were among the many Indian Ocean island chains devastated by a massive tsunami spawned by the powerful 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake. 3,000 people there were still missing in the aftermath, nearly four years after the disaster. When the earthquake and subsequent aftershock hit the area on June 27, 2008, panicked residents immediately fled their homes, fearing another catastrophe.⁴