6.5 magnitude earthquake hits east of Andaman Islands, India

NEW DELHI, India – The U.S. Geological Survey says a strong earthquake has shaken an area east of India's Andaman Islands. There were no immediate reports of serious damage, and no tsunami warning was issued.

It said the quake measured a preliminary magnitude of 6.5 and struck Friday evening about 70 miles) east of Mohean, India, and 588 miles southwest of Bangkok, Thailand. The relatively shallow quake was centered at a depth of 6.2 miles.

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.