BANGKOK: A remarkable 5.6 magnitude earthquake struck the Fiji Islands Region on Thursday (July 3), 8,930km off Thailand, according to the Earthquake Observation Division.
Meanwhile, several tremors were reported in Thailand’s neighbouring countries, including three in Myanmar, two in the Nicobar Islands in India, and one in Northern Sumatra, Indonesia. The tremors recorded since the early hours of Thursday ranged in magnitude from 2.5 to 4.9.
Among them, at 7.40am, a 4.9 magnitude tremor hit Myanmar, around 18km beneath the Earth's surface. The epicentre was located approximately 314km northwest of Pang Mapha district, Mae Hong Son province, Thailand.
Northern Sumatra, Indonesia, recorded the a magnitude of 4.5, at 7.43am. It occurred at a depth of around 80km, with the epicentre located approximately 490km southwest of Mueang district, Phuket province.
A 4.1 magnitude tremor hit the Nicobar Islands, India, at 4.42am. The tremor originated about 10km beneath the Earth's surface, with the epicentre located approximately 478 km northeast of Mueang district, Phang Nga province.
The Department of Mineral Resources has summarised the series of earthquakes that occurred from June 24 to July 1, 2025. A total of 94 earthquakes, with magnitudes ranging from 3.4 to 4.9, were recorded in the Andaman Sea, to the east of the Nicobar Islands, India.
The earthquakes were classified as minor to light, with no significant main shocks, and they occurred as part of a swarm over a specific period. The epicentres of these quakes were located about 450km northwest of Mueang district, Phang Nga province, and approximately 100km from an underwater volcano.
The department stated that the cause of these earthquakes was due to the movement along the Sumatran fault in the Andaman Sea. However, the department confirmed that these events did not trigger a tsunami due to the relatively small size of the tremors.
No impact has been reported in Thailand, and crucially, these quakes were caused by horizontal fault movement, not the subduction-type movements that lead to tsunamis, as seen in the 2004 disaster, the department explained.
The Department of Mineral Resources continues to monitor the situation closely and will provide further updates. - The Nation/ANN
