Earth tremor causes panic in parts of Accra, Ghana

My Ghana

An earth tremor hit parts of Accra on Thursday night with residents of Bortianor and neighbouring communities confirming they felt the earth move.

The Earth tremor which occurred around 8pm lasted for about six seconds.

Residents said though the earth tremor  is not new, last night’s  vibrations were  of a higher magnitude.

Meanwhile the Chief Executive Officer of Development Geo-Information Service (DeGEOSERV), Prof. Emmanuel Amamoo-Otchere is cautioning residents in the affected areas to either relocate or take steps to protect their buildings against earth tremors.

He explained that even though the situation may not be frightening currently, the magnitude could increase and cause major destruction to life and properties in earthquake prone zones.

Records indicate that in 1615,  earthquakes occurred in Ghana with magnitude greater than 6.0 on the Richter Scale.

The last three major earthquakes occurred in Ghana in 1862, 1906 and 1939. The 1862 Accra earthquake with a magnitude 6.5 on the Richter Scale killed three people and caused considerable damage.

The Osu Castle was destroyed. The effects of this earthquake were felt in Togo and in Benin. Two magnitude 4.6 and 4.9 seismic events occurred in Accra in 1871 and 1872.

The epicenter of the 1906 earthquake was near Ho collapsing buildings and causing severe damage.

citifmonline
25 Jul 2014