People in Wayanad report booming sound, tremor; no seismic activity, say experts
People from panchayats such as Nenmeni, Ambalavayal and Vythiri in the district complained about hearing mysterious sounds from under the ground.
The National Center for Seismology (NCS) on Friday denied any seismic activity in Wayanad after residents of several panchayats in the landslide-hit hilly district of Kerala reported hearing loud, booming sounds and feeling tremors earlier in the day.
Anas Rosna Stephy, president of the Pozhuthana panchayat, told HT that several residents panicked after hearing the sounds.
“We heard loud, booming sounds from beneath the earth between 10 am and 10:15 am. Some people felt as if the ground was shaking too. The whole thing lasted only a few seconds. We thought the sounds were heard only in our area, but we are getting reports of people experiencing the same in many places in Wayanad,” Stephy said.
People from panchayats such as Nenmeni, Ambalavayal and Vythiri in the district also complained about similar experiences. Some of the lower primary schools in the area were directed to suspend classes on Friday, officials said.
“Since some parts of our panchayat like Sugandhagiri are prone to landslips, we are cautious about the people living there,” she said.
Shelju, the district geologist, told HT, “Yes, locals and the district administration apprised us about the strange phenomenon. We don’t have a mechanism in the district to identify tremors, but we are taking statements from people, and we will examine what could be the cause.”
An NCS official said, “No seismic activity has been reported in the region around Wayanad between 10 am and 12 noon today.”
Meanwhile, a statement from the chief minister’s office said efforts had begun to relocate people from densely populated areas where the mysterious sounds were heard.