Tsunami alert rattles SA
2007-09-13 14:52
Johannesburg - While South Africa's east coast will not be swamped by a tsunami following an earthquake in Indonesia, the scare triggered a deluge of phone calls to the SA Weather Service on Thursday.
"If we were to experience any effects it would have occurred at 01:00 this (Thursday) morning," said the services' spokesperson for Port Elizabeth, Garth Sampson.
He said "many people" wanted to evacuate their houses in Schoenmakerskop, and Swartkops, Port Elizabeth.
"Some factories in Deal Party have sent workers home," he said.
"Although it is not our area of expertise, we have been inundated with calls about the threat of a tsunami today (Thursday)."
The National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) also gave reassurances that there was "no need to panic" as early warning systems were in place and authorities would not be taken by surprise.
NSRI spokesperson Craig Lambinon said the alert was precautionary, as there was no concrete evidence of a full-blown tsunami.
The South African Indian Ocean coastline was last on the list of areas that may be affected.
An earthquake measuring 8.4 on the Richter scale struck Indonesia's Sumatra island at dusk on Wednesday, sparking fears of a tsunami as far as Kenya's east coast.
- SAPA