The National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI) earlier this week forecasted massive earthquakes with the potential to wreak damage in the Himalayan area in the near future. According to media reports, it also stated that both property damage and fatalities can be avoided by constructing strong structures.
According to Dr. N Purnachandra Rao, chief scientist at NGRI, the Indian plate shifts around five centimetres every year, causing strain to build up along the Himalayas. The Earth's surface is made up of several plates that are constantly moving.
"In Uttarakhand, we have a robust network of 18 seismograph stations. The seismic gap between Himachal and the western half of Nepal, including Uttarakhand, is prone to earthquakes that can strike at any moment," Dr. Rao added.
The horrifying prediction comes after the devastating 7.8 magnitude earthquake in Turkey and Syria, which has killed almost 47,000 people to date and is considered one of the worst natural disasters in the last century.
The incidence of such vast destruction has caused governments to evaluate their preparation for risk management, relief fund research and development, and knowledge gaps, among other things.
Frank Hoogerbeets, a Dutch researcher, reportedly forecasted the earthquakes in Turkey and Syria - which suffered a catastrophic 7-8-magnitude earthquake on February 6 - three days earlier. At the time, his tweet had also gone viral.
According to another viral post sharing a video of the researcher explaining the danger stated, "Dutch researcher Frank Hoogerbeets who anticipated the quake in Turkey and Syria three days ago had also predicted seismic activity anticipating a large size earthquake originating in Afghanistan, through Pakistan and India eventually terminating into the Indian Ocean".
🇳🇱 Dutch researcher @hogrbe who anticipated the quake in Turkey and Syria three days ago had also predicted seismic activity anticipating a large size earthquake originating in Afghanistan, through Pakistan and India eventually terminating into the Indian Ocean. pic.twitter.com/4RkLbN9cBS
— Jos Quinten (@TaranQ) February 8, 2023
However, Twitter users flagged the tweet, claiming that earthquake forecasts had no scientific validity.
While Turkey's Anatolian plate is one of the most active seismic zones, making it one of the most earthquake-prone countries, the entire Himalayan belt is also considered prone to great earthquakes of magnitude greater than 8.0, with as much as 59% of India's land mass prone to earthquakes of varying intensities.
