Iraqi Meteorological Authority dismisses earthquake predictions as baseless rumors
Shafaq News / The Iraqi Meteorological Authority debunked, on Sunday, claims of strong earthquakes occurring in Iraq, describing them as akin to the controversial interpretations of "Abu Ali Al-Sheibani".
Amer Al-Jaberi, the spokesperson for the Meteorological Authority, told Shafaq News Agency, "The claims and allegations by the Dutchman Frank Hoogerbeets have been circulating since the earthquake in Turkey and Syria last February. They are scientifically and geographically baseless and amount to confusing rumors that should be ignored."
He added, "Earthquakes cannot be predicted at all, as they are natural disasters with activity occurring 30 kilometers beneath the Earth's surface. Iraq is completely safe from seismic activity, except for occasional minor tremors in border regions adjacent to the border with Turkey and Iran."
Al-Jaberi emphasized that "the Iraqi Meteorological Authority has identified seismic activity locations through technical monitoring by observation and surveillance teams. These areas are concentrated in Ali Al-Gharbi district in Maysan Governorate, southeast Iraq, Khanqin district and Jalawla sub-district in Diyala Governorate, central-eastern Iraq, Badrah district in Wasit Governorate, and Kalar district in the Karmian Autonomous Region, Kurdistan. All of these areas are far from earthquake risks."
The spokesperson for the Meteorological Authority urged citizens to stay away from the rumors spread on social media related to natural disasters and the safety of life, as they are completely detached from scientific and geographical reality.
In recent days, social media has been circulating predictions by Frank Hoogerbeets, in which he claimed that devastating earthquakes will soon strike Iraq, following a series of recent earthquakes in the Kingdom of Morocco that claimed the lives of over two thousand people and caused significant material damage.
It is noteworthy that Abu Ali Al-Sheibani is a controversial Iraqi figure who has been appearing in the media for years, presenting himself as a spiritual expert with numerous predictions about future events.
