Mohammad Dawood
Okaz/Saudi Gazette
JEDDAH — The Saudi Geological Survey (SGS) recorded a total of 73 Red Sea earthquakes since last Monday.
The director of the SGS’ National Center for Earthquakes and Volcanoes, Hani Zahran, said the earthquakes happened 90 km west of Umluj governorate.
From last Monday until Tuesday morning, a total of 57 quakes were recorded.
From Tuesday until Wednesday morning, 16 were recorded.
The biggest recorded quake had a magnitude of 3.6.
He said: “The earthquake was a result of the Red Sea’s tectonic plates distancing from each other.
“The epicenter was located at 25.124 latitude and 36.462 longitude.
“Such quakes are considered normal and quite frequent. They are nothing to seriously worry about.”
He added that it is difficult to predict earthquakes or prevent them from happening.
The best the center can do is take precautions to alleviate damage, he said.
“It is important to raise awareness on how to act in case of an earthquake in order to lessen the number of potential casualties.
“It is also important to conduct continuous research and studies on earthquakes to be able to better estimate and determine their strength and location.”
He also stressed the importance of adhering to the Saudi building code in constructing buildings as it includes guidelines on how to better withstand earthquakes.
