E-Paper
Experts deny reports of booming sounds, tremors in Wayanad
The National Center for Seismology has denied any seismic activity in Wayanad after residents of several panchayats in the hill district in Kerala reported hearing loud sounds and feeling tremors earlier in the day
The National Center for Seismology (NCS) on Friday denied any seismic activity in Wayanad after residents of several panchayats in the hill district in Kerala reported hearing loud sounds and feeling tremors earlier in the day.
Pozhuthana panchayat president Anas Rosna Stephy told HT that several residents panicked after hearing the sounds. “We heard loud, booming sounds from beneath the earth between 10am and 10.15am. 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,” she said.
“Since some parts of our panchayat like Sugandhagiri are prone to landslips, we are cautious about the people living there,” Stephy added.
Upon receiving reports about the alleged incident, an official at the NCS said, “No seismic activity has been reported in the region around Wayanad between 10 am and 12 noon on Friday.”
The reports of thunder-like sounds and jerking also came in from panchayats like Nenmeni, Ambalavayal and Vythiri in Wayanad.
Some of the lower primary schools in the areas were directed to suspend classes on Friday, officials said.
District geologist Shelju said: “The 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.”
Quoting district collector DR Meghasree, the statement from the chief minister’s office stated that efforts to relocate people had started from densely-populated areas in the district where the mysterious sounds were heard.
