Thousands evacuated from Al-Ais

Thousands evacuated from Al-Ais Muhammad Al-Sheikh | Arab News

YANBU/MADINAH/AL-AIS: A total of 2,289 people, including 326 families, were evacuated from quake-hit villages in the Al-Ais area, 240 km north of Madinah, and housed in furnished apartments in Yanbu. The evacuations took place as 30 tremors of varying magnitudes — measuring between 3 and 5.4 on the Richter scale — were registered at Harrah Al-Shaqah in the Al-Ais area during the 24 hours ending 2 p.m. yesterday, the Saudi Geological Survey reported. According to a Civil Defense official in Yanbu, evacuations were still being carried out late in the night. "The evacuees are first brought to Al-Faqaeli Camp before being sent to Yanbu or Madinah, as the evacuation process is still continuing," the official said. Authorities began evacuating people on Monday. Abdullah Al-Maylabi, an evacuee in Yanbu, said his family of 16 spent Tuesday night in fear and prayers after his village, Hadama, was hit by a tremor. Faraj Al-Hebaishi, another evacuee in Yanbu Al-Bahr, said his family underwent a nightmare when doors and windows of his home broke due to the tremor. "We would have moved out of the village even if the Civil Defense did not tell us to," he said. He thanked officials for finding two apartments for his two wives and children. "The Civil Defense blew a siren warning people that they were being evacuated. We were then taken to a nearby camp. No one was allowed to stay, return or enter Al-Ais after that," Al-Hebaishi said. The Civil Defense has warned people living within a radius of 40 km of Harrah Al-Shaqah, the quake's epicenter, to keep away. The warning was issued following the discovery of dangerous gases and unusually hot air and water in wells as the frequency of tremors increased in Al-Ais. A Civil Defense source said the discoveries suggested a volcanic eruption was likely. "Cracks appeared on the walls of my home on Tuesday night," said Salah Al-Rifae, a resident of Yanbu, 140 km from Al-Ais. Some citizens in Yanbu are also offering their buildings free of cost to evacuees. Saleh Al-Jihani, owner of Al-Haditha private school, offered to admit 150 evacuated schoolchildren at his school. Local authorities have announced the closure of schools for two weeks starting Saturday in Umlaj. Umm Faisal, an evacuee who was taken to Madinah, said, "When officials advised us to leave the area where the frequency of tremors were increasing and volcanic activities seemed likely, I did not hesitate ... I was worried about the safety of my eight children." She added that, although she feels relieved that she and her family are safe, she is unhappy that her children's education had been disrupted. Umm Abdullah said that she, along with her husband and children, sought refuge in a nearby mountain when the door of their house collapsed in a tremor on Sunday. "We spent five hours on a mountain top until the Civil Defense brought us down," she said. Mayor of Al-Ais Ahmad Al-Buraikit said no deaths or injuries were reported in the area as a result of the tremors. "The mild earthquake has not caused any loss of life or injuries in the area so far," he said. Al-Buraikit said that he informed the governor's office when the first signs of the tremors occurred in mid-April. He added that officials have been raising awareness about what to do in an emergency. Director General of the Madinah Red Crescent Dr. Moalla Al-Jabri confirmed that no injuries or deaths were reported. "We haven't received any cases on account of the earthquakes," he said. Tabuk Gov. Prince Fahd bin Sultan assured the people of Wajh and Umlaj in the Tabuk province that they would be safe. "There have been no human injuries or material losses in Umlaj while all government departments are geared to tackle any eventualities in the region," Prince Fahd said in a meeting with local people. The King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST) said villages surrounding Harrah Al-Shaqah are safe. Emergency Civil Defense squads in Makkah were moved near Yanbu to assist in coping with any emergency. In Al-Ais, the fruit market is filled with abandoned produce in barren stalls. Groups of bag-clutching expatriate workers form at garages and pick-up points, waiting for buses to carry them away to a safe place. However, reaction to the rumblings and the continuing seismic shocks in the area are generating excitement among the local people. Few have been in an earthquake and curiosity is mounting. Conversations now commonly start with inquiries about the earth moving underfoot. Public knowledge about seismic activity in general is limited but even in the humblest tea shop in Yanbu and Madinah, the phrase "Richter scale" has become common currency. — With input from Muhammad Abdullah, Yousuf Muhammad, Nadeen Ibrahim and Roger Harrison