A tsunami warning has been issued on Sri Lanka following the earthquake of magnitude 7.7 near the Nicobar Islands in India.

Coastal area residents are warned to be vigilant.

Meanwhile, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre too has issued an alert that an earthquake had occurred and issued a tsunami watch alert in the region as follows:

A tsunami watch is in effect for: India/ Indonesia / Sri Lanka / Myanmar/ Thailand / Malaysia

For other areas of the Indian Oceanregion...this message is for Information only at this time.

This bulletin is issued as advice to government agencies. Only national and local government agencies have the authority to make decisions regarding the official state of alert in their area and any actions to be taken in response.

An earthquake has occurred with these preliminary parameters

Origin time        - 1927z 12 June 2010

Coordinates      - 7.7 North   91.8 Eeast

Location           - Nnicobar Islands / India region

Magnitude        - 7.6

Evaluation: Earthquakes of this size have the potential to generate a destructive local tsunami and sometimes a destructive regional tsunami along coasts located usually no more than a thousand kilometers from the earthquake epicenter. Areas further from the epicenter could experience small sea level changes and strong or unusual coastal currents.

However - it is not known that a tsunami was generated. This watch is based only on the earthquake evaluation. Authorities in the region should take appropriate action in response to this possibility. The watch will not expand to other areas of the Indian Oceanunless additional data are received to warrant such an expansion, the report adds.