A moderate earthquake struck near India's Andaman and Nicobar islands on Friday, causing no damage, officials said. The Hong Kong Observatory said the quake was of magnitude 5.6, while India's Meteorological Department said the temblor measured 5.7. The reason for the discrepancy was not immediately clear. The quake struck at 0430 GMT and was centered about 270 kilometers (170 miles) northeast of Port Blair, the capital of the Andamans, the observatory said. There was no risk of the quake triggering a tsunami, said J. Chandaram of the Indian office. Chandaram said they had been in touch with their office in Port Blair and no damage had been reported, the Associated Press reported. The remote islands off the east coast of India were among the regions devastated by the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.
