Public not to panic over tsunami rumours

The Department of Mineral Resources has asked the public in the southern region not to panic over tsunami rumours, while urging the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation to help spread factual understanding among the public in 23 seaside provinces on the matter, says the DMR Director-General.

Department of Mineral Resources’ (DMR) Director-General Supot Jermsawatdipong addressed the public’s fears after the recent quake incidents, in the southern provinces of Thailand. The quakes were recorded at 2-4.6 magnitude on the Richter scale and can be felt in the provinces of Krabi, Phang Nga, and Phuket.

He has said that these quakes are natural and originated from the Khlong Marui active faults that cuts across Surat Thani province and the edge of Phuket province. The seismic activity of this fault will not cause earthquakes measuring beyond 5 magnitude on the Richter scale.

The DMR are now studying the seismic activity of the two faults in the southern region, namely the Khlong Marui and the Ranong fault, as these two faults have exhibited frequent seismic movement recently, with the Khlong Marui fault having already caused 6 earthquakes this year.

The DMR Director-General has mentioned that the DMR is now coordinating with the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation offices in the 23 provinces at risk of earthquake from the Andaman sea and the Gulf of Thailand, to increase the public’s preparedness on understanding the situation. Evacuation drills are to be executed in the case of an earthquake or tsunami incident in order to restrain public panic should the situation arise, especially after rumours of a coming tsunami disaster in the southern region.

He added citing date from studies, that tsunamis are possible after an initial quake in the Andaman sea, but it will take time before the tsunami reaches shore. Research shows that waves will take between 1 hour and 20 minutes and 2 hours to reach the seashore.

NNT

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