A tsunami warning has been issued in the Indian Ocean after a 6.1 magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of East Timor on May 27, 2022. As per the US Geological Survey, there were no immediate reports of damage. The Tsunami advisory group has said that an earthquake may be capable of generating a tsunami affecting the Indian Ocean region.
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A tsunami warning in the Indian Ocean was issued by the Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning and Mitigation System (IOTWMS). Reportedly, the earthquake in East Timor was very quick and people went about their activities as usual.
#UPDATE A 6.1-magnitude earthquake has struck off the eastern tip of East Timor, the US Geological Survey says.
— AFP News Agency (@AFP) May 27, 2022
A tsunami advisory group said the earthquake "may be capable of generating a tsunami affecting the Indian Ocean region" pic.twitter.com/0DjaMtR0vr
Tsunami Warning in the Indian Ocean
Tsunami warning was issued by IOTWMS after the earthquake occurred at a depth of 51.4 kilometers (32 miles) off the eastern edge of Timor Island. It is divided between East Timor and Indonesia.
Why tsunami warning has been issued as quake struck off coast of East Timor?
East Timor and Indonesia sit on the Pacific 'Ring of Fire’. It is an arc of intense seismic activity that stretched through the Southeast Asia and across the Pacific basin.
The region is known to be hit by several damaging earthquakes that resulted in the loss of life and property.
History of earthquakes in Indian Ocean region
1. In February 2022, a 6.2 magnitude of earthquake killed a dozen people when it struck Indonesia’s North Sumatra.
2. In 2004, a 9.1 magnitude earthquake had hit the coast of Sumatra and triggered a Tsunami that killed 2,20,000 people throughout the region, including around 1,70,000 in Indonesia.
East Timor: What do we know about this South East Asian country
East Timor which has been recently hit by a 6.1 magnitude earthquake has a population of 1.3 million. The youngest country in South East Asia also recently celebrated the 20th anniversary of its Independence from Indonesia.
The country’s economy is mostly rural which has also been severely hit by the COVID-19 outbreak. As per the World Bank, 42 per cent of the East Timor population live below the poverty line.
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