|
 |
News |
 |
|
| |
Email this article |
 Printer Friendly Version
|
| |
Tremors Shake Parts of UAE |
| |
Chandeliers swayed and furniture rattled in several homes, while motorists brought their vehicles to a halt and residents of multi-storey buildings ran out in the open as tremors shook parts of Dubai and the Northern Emirates on Wednesday afternoon.
The tremors were felt at 3.08 (local time) and lasted about 30 seconds. They were the aftershocks of a powerful earthquake that struck Bandar Abbas in southern Iran.
The US Geological Service said the quake in Iran registered 6.1 on the Richter scale.
However, authorities in UAE said the magnitude of the tremors felt was 5.7.
|
| |
9/11/2008 9:44:41 AM |
| |
|
| |
| |
No casualties or damage to property were reported in the UAE.
The first tremors were felt in Sharjah and later in different parts of Dubai, Ajman, Fujairah and Ras Al Khaimah.
“We recorded four small tremors of 5.7 magnitude. The epicentre was 150km from Dubai and 120km from Sharjah,” Yousuf Al Marzouki, Head of Dubai Municipality Seismology Centre told Khaleej Times.
Police and Civil Defence personnel in Dubai and the Northern Emirates said panic gripped the residents and many were evacuated or fled from their homes and offices.
“We received calls from residents from Dubai and Sharjah soon after the tremors were felt,” said Captain Sultan Al Merri, Duty Officer at the Operations Room of Dubai Police.
Mahmood Hamad, spokesman of Dubai Civil Defence said Civil Defence personnel were deployed in different parts of the city to face any emergency.
Residents said they were terrified with the jolts and rushed out of their buildings and offices to open places.
Hundreds of office workers along Shaikh Zayed Road fled from their buildings when the tremors were felt.
“I was working at my computer and the machine suddenly shook. I was puzzled for a while, but soon realised that it was a tremor. We were asked to rush out immediately. This is something I have not experienced previously. I was terrified,” said Mohammed Izwan Hussain, who works in an office on the Shaikh Zayed Road.
While a number of companies took the decision to evacuate their staff from offices along Shaikh Zayed Road, most hotels said they kept their guests calm and all remained inside.
In Sharjah, Ajman and Ras Al Khaimah, people were reported rushing out from their homes and offices after the tremors felt.
“It was terrifying. Rushing out of the office was difficult as the staircases were crowded. I was running towards the ground floor with my fingers crossed,” said Mary Mathew, a housewife living in a highrise building in Sharjah.
Jamal Abdullah, Director of the Earthquake Observatory in the American University of Sharjah (AUS), said, “These tremors seem very similar to the ones experienced in November 2005. This is not a new activity and could have been caused by the Zagrous fault that lies between the Arabian and Eurasian plates. Any movement in these plates could cause this.”
The Dubai Municipality, meanwhile, issued a statement stating that none of the buildings in Dubai had been affected by the tremors and there was no cause of panic.
Engineer Mohammed Mashroum, Director of Survey Department, said, “We have four stations which record and monitor the seismic activities. These stations are located in Hatta, Nazwa, Al Ashoush and Al Faqqa. These stations recorded tremors of 5.7 magnitude south of Iran near the Kisham islands.
“The tremor caused an aftershock which was witnessed here at 3pm local time. These aftershocks ranged between 2.8 to 4.8. All buildings in Dubai are earthquake resistant and there has been no damage of any kind,” he said.
|
| |
Source: Khaleejtimes.com |
news |
| |
Email this article | Printer Friendly Version |
|
 |
| |
|
|
|
| Current Events |
 |
|
| DubaiGetaway |
 |
|
| Featured Links |
| |
|
|
|
