5.8-magnitude earthquake hits Oman coast: UAE NCM – News

The earthquake struck at 7:24 am in the Arabian Sea

A strong earthquake with a magnitude of 5.8 struck Oman’s Arabian Sea coast on Thursday morning, the UAE’s National Center for Meteorology (NCM) reported. It added that the quake’s epicenter was about 500 kilometers from the Omani port city of Sur at a depth of 10 kilometers below the seabed.

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) estimated the quake in the Irving Fault Zone region at a magnitude of 5.4.

According to the NCM, the UAE was not affected by the earthquake and it was not felt by residents of the country. The Metropolitan Department recorded the earthquake at 7.24am in the Arabian Sea.

Seismology experts earlier told Khaleej Times Residents of the UAE have no reason to fear earthquakes. Khalifa Al Ebri, head of NCM’s seismology department, told the Khaleej Times: “Seismic activity in the UAE is low to moderate; therefore we are safe. We are not on an active seismic zone.

“We regularly have two or three earthquakes a year. People don’t feel most of them, they’re just detected by sensors. All of them don’t affect buildings or infrastructure (in the country).”