Strong Earthquake Hits East of Nicobar Islands

A strong earthquake shook an area east of India's Nicobar Islands in the Bay of Bengal on Friday evening, officials said. There

 were no immediate reports of serious damage or casualties, and no tsunami warning was issued.

The quake measured magnitude 6.5 and struck about 113 kilometers (70 miles) east of Mohean, India, and 946 kilometers (588 miles) southwest of Bangkok, Thailand, the U.S. Geological Survey said. The relatively shallow quake was centered at a depth of 10 kilometers (6.2 miles), it said. It was followed by several aftershocks.

Police officer Shabbir Ahmed said no casualties or damage to property were reported.

The area has frequent earthquakes and volcanic activity, and is part of the Pacific "Ring of Fire," an arc of volcanoes and fault lines encircling the Pacific Basin.