NYN | News
Panic spread among the residents of three Yemeni governorates after they experienced sudden and simultaneous earthquakes, causing chaos and anxiety due to the unclear reasons behind them and the coincidental occurrence of the quakes in the three provinces without prior warning.
Local sources in the Al-Bayda governorate of Yemen reported that large areas of the governorate experienced consecutive tremors and violent aftershocks, clearly felt by the residents, sparking panic among them, especially since the first tremor coincided with one in the Yafa district of Lahj governorate and another in Abyan governorate.
The sources confirmed that the tremors began at 8 PM, then ceased before resuming after midnight, which led the residents to worry about the potential collapse of their homes.
The Dhammar Earthquake and Volcano Monitoring and Study Center reported on Saturday evening that a mild earthquake had been recorded in Al-Bayda governorate with a magnitude of 2.9 on the Richter scale.
The center explained that the tremor occurred at 7:48 PM, 10 kilometers northwest of Al-Bayda city, at a depth of 2 kilometers beneath the Earth’s surface.
It noted that the shallow depth of the tremor made it clearly felt by the residents, despite being a mild tremor.
In a related context, local activists on social media called for an urgent investigation by government authorities and geological centers to determine the source of these recurring tremors, which are believed to indicate unusual seismic activity in the region.
A Yemeni geologist (who preferred to remain anonymous) pointed out that the Al-Bayda, Lahj, and Abyan regions are located within active geological zones. However, the frequency of these tremors requires a detailed study, warning against neglecting scientific monitoring of such phenomena.
Previously, some Arab experts and analysts have raised unconfirmed hypotheses suggesting that large dams – such as the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam – could have indirect long-term effects through changes in regional hydrological balance or pressure on tectonic plates, especially in the Red Sea basin, known for its seismic activity. However, there is no scientific consensus or peer-reviewed studies proving a direct connection between the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam and any geological issues in Yemen.
In this context, seismic phenomena in Yemen are relatively rare compared to other regions, but the southern mountainous and plain areas have witnessed a noticeable increase in mild tremors in recent years, prompting experts to call for strengthening geological monitoring systems.
