‘Kuwait not near seismic belt, quakes cannot be predicted’
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KISR official expresses doubts about social media reports
KUWAIT CITY, Dec 10: Head of the National Network for Seismic Monitoring at Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research (KISR) Dr Abdullah Al-Enezi expressed doubts about the reports circulating on social media with claims that the coming year will witness seismic activities, indicating that these are just expectations based on some statistics and available data that covers a specific period, reports Al-Nahar daily.
Dr Al-Enezi said Kuwait is not near the seismic belt and that earthquakes cannot be predicted as they bring about sudden breaks or refractions in the layers of the earth. He affirmed the readiness to deal with earthquakes through enforcement of relevant procedures and precautionary measures including commitment to the seismic code. He also stressed the importance of determining a seismic code for Kuwait and installing warning devices especially inside residential towers with thousands of tenants.
Dr Al-Enezi clarified that it is not earthquakes that cause deaths but the types of constructions and the behavior of individuals during earthquakes. He highlighted many factors that increase the potentiality of earthquakes such as building of dams and mines as well as nuclear explosions.
Dr Al-Enezi stressed the difference between the intensity of an earthquake and its magnitude, explaining that the first is measured using the Mercalli Scale, which measures the effects of an earthquake including the level of destruction resulting from it. The second is measured according to Richter scale.
He denied the accusation that was raised against the National Network for Seismic Monitoring about not announcing the recent earthquake on time. Dr Al-Enezi affirmed that KISR carried out its duty of analyzing the earthquake, sending the reports to the official bodies as well as to Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) and conducting TV interviews in order to reassure the citizens and residents of Kuwait.
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