Millions of sea cucumber in east coast of Peninsula

13Friday

http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v3/news.php?id=229976


November 14, 2006 21:20 PM     

South China Sea Not In The Seismic Line


KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 14 (Bernama) -- The public should not be unduly worried about the moderate 5.5 magnitude earthquake that occurred in the South China Sea near Mindoro in the Philippines Tuesday, the Malaysian Meteorological Services Department said Tuesday.

A spokesman of the department said there was no proof so far that such an earthquake would lead to other threats such as tsunami in the future as the South China Sea was not regarded as an area with high seismic activities.

"The South China sea is not an earthquake-prone area. It is also not located along the 'ring of fire'. Therefore, the public should not be unduly worried and make their own assumption and try to link it with other phenomena," he told Bernama Tuesday.

The earthquake near Mindoro, the Philippines' seventh largest island, occurred at 8.55am.

In its alert notice, the Malaysian Meteorological Services Department (MMSD) discounted a tsunami threat resulting from the quake, whose epicentre was some 839km northwest of Kudat in Sabah.

The earthquake was a cause for worry to some people in the east coast states of the peninsula as they have experienced or witnessed several unusual phenomena in the coastal area of the South China Sea.

One such phenomenon was the discovery of millions of sea cucumbers along the beach in Kuala Terengganu, Setiu, Besut and Kota Baharu during the past two weeks. They are believed to have been washed ashore by the sea's unusually strong undercurrent.

Fishermen living along the coast described the occurrence as rare in that part of the peninsula.

Villagers also claimed to have spotted dozens of dolphins swimming too close to the shore, while some dolphins were stranded on the beach in Batu Rakit, near Kuala Terengganu, several days ago. The sea mammals were later rescued and released into the sea by some fishermen.

According to the locals, the strange behaviour of the dolphins was yet another related phenomenon. This led to the belief that a tsunami would occur in the South China Sea in a matter of days because similar phenomena were reported prior to the devastating tsunami which occurred in the Indian Ocean off Aceh on Dec 24 2004.

However, the MMSD spokesman said there was no cause for alarm because the South China Sea is not known to have tsunamis.

"Whatever claim made by the villagers, they have to be justified with scientific data. Only then can we come out with a conclusion," he said.

-- BERNAMA

13Friday

I see cucumber = ICC

alphawolf

Yeah India and Sri Lanka do not have much sismic activity too....