The Earthquake Monitoring Center (EMC) at Sultan Qaboos University reported on Sunday a 4.1-magnitude earthquake near Oman’s port town of Duqm, which falls on the Arabian Sea.
The news of the earthquake comes as the region continues to recover from the devastating 7.8-magnitude earthquake that struck Türkiye and neighboring Syria on February 6.
According to EMC, the perceived intensity of shaking in the area was low, with no risk of destruction. The alert level for Muscat and the rest of the Sultanate was zero, the center further said, but the direct impact on buildings will vary depending on their infrastructure.
In a tweet, the Royal Oman Police said it was “following up on calls it received through the police operations center from citizens who reported feeling a light earthquake.”
Read more: Turkey-Syria earthquake losses could reach $4 billion
The police further revealed that there have been no reports of injuries or property damage as a result of the earthquake.
Seismic events with magnitudes less than 3.5 are rarely felt, while those ranging from 3.5 to 5.5 are felt but rarely cause damage.
According to ThinkHazard, the impacts of disasters and hazards website, Oman’s earthquake hazard is classified as medium, with a 10 percent chance of potentially damaging earthquakes in the next 50 years.
Events measuring 7 or more on the scale are regarded as “major”, including the deadly earthquake that struck Türkiye and Syria, killing over 46,000 people and injuring thousands more. International relief efforts are still underway on the ground in the aftermath of the devastation.
Oman launches a donation drive
Moved by the plight of earthquake-affected people in Türkiye and Syria, a donation drive was launched in Oman to collect funds for them. So far, more than 370,000 Omani riyals ($959,000) have been collected as part of the campaign to help the quake victims.
Click here for more on the deadly earthquake that hit Türkiye and Syria.
