Earthquake of 5.4 magnitude reported about 400km from Sur

Muscat: An earthquake measuring 5.4 on the Richter Scale was reported in the region of Makran in Pakistan, some 423 kilometres from the Omani city of Sur.

According to the Earthquake Monitoring Centre at Sultan Qaboos University, there was “an earthquake in Pakistan (Makran) at 12:24pm local time, with a strength of 5.4.”

The earthquake struck at a depth of 62.4 kilometres below sea level.

The town of Makran shares its name with the Makran Subduction Zone, an undersea region featuring the locking of two tectonic plates, leading to frequent earthquakes in the vicinity. Several scientific research projects have and are being undertaken to study the nature of earthquakes caused by the Makran zone.

Writing in their recently published research paper, Mohammed Mokhtari, Ahmed Ala Amjadi, Leila Mahshadnia and Mandana Rafizadeh said, “It has been found that any probable tsunami in the Makran will likely hit the nearest coastline within about 15 to 20 min.

“This suggests an element of urgency for the establishment of a clear education system for what coastal communities should do if they feel and earthquake along with parallel efforts to establish an effective tsunami early warning system in the region,” they added. “Such earthquakes and associated tsunamis present a significant hazard to populations around the Arabian Sea.”