A huge earthquake rocked Southeast Asia yesterday morning, slammed into several parts of southern India, killing about 2 000 people, said Home Minister Shivraj Patil.

Among all major cities, the maximum panic and damage was reported in Chennai. Tamil Nadu was the ?worst affected? with possibly over 800 people killed, said after a meeting of the Crisis Management Group (CMG).

In Andhra Pradesh, over 200 people were feared killed, he said. In Andaman, as many as 14 people were killed, the Home Minister said, adding that the damage due to the tidal wave in Car Nicobar and Greater Andamans was ?higher? but details were yet to come in due to snapping of communication links.

Patil said that coastal areas of West Bengal had also suffered damage but he had not been able to contact Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya as yet. He said he is likely to visit the affected areas either yesderday evening or today. Patil said thousands of people have been evacuated from the affected areas. He said the priority was to provide relief to the victims including food, medicines and blankets. Authorities in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh were carrying out relief and rescue operation on a war footing, the Home Minister said. The Centre, he said, is doing all that is necessary to mitigate the suffering of the people and provide relief.

Thousands fled their homes along the coast after cars were hurled up, boats were washed inland and water seeped into major buildings, including the police headquarters and the nuclear power plant at nearby Kalpakkam.

Tidal waves caused flooding in the city?s central areas, with waters entering the police headquarters and causing a breakdown at a power station, causing power outage across the north part of the city.

After-shocks of the earthquake may be felt for the next 3-4 days and care should be taken in the coastal areas during the next two days, experts warned yesterday. ?Whenever this type of big earthquake occurs, there are after-shocks. In this case also, there are after-shocks and it may continue for 3-4 days,? Earthquake Risk Evaluation Centre?s director A K Shukla said, adding, ?It may go beyond that also.? Although the after-shocks are of lesser magnitude, he said, ?For 1-2 days, care should be taken in coastal areas.?

The Indian Meteorogical Department said the earthquake measured 8.1 on Richter scale was recorded near Sumatra Islands in Indonesia and the shocks were felt in India. ?The effects of such a quake can be felt up to 2 000 km,? a Chennai-based expert said. Eastern India was rocked by a major earthquake, about 1 000 km away from Port Blair, at 0629 IST.

Major damages have been reported in Andaman Islands, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Pondichery due to the earthquake and todal waves.

?It is not the sea that has risen, but it is the tidal waves which are being reported in coastal areas,? Shukla said.

<I>Source: Times of India</I>