Series of quakes shakes Malta
‘Nothing to worry about’
The earthquake occurred 37 kilometres east of Malta, at a depth of 7.1 kilometres.
Windows rattled, doors shook open and furniture vibrated in several homes around the island yesterday when a series of earthquakes occurred 37 kilometres east of Malta.
Described as a quake of “average” magnitude, the first tremor, measuring 3.5 on the Richter scale, was mainly felt in the south of the island at about 12.11 a.m. Other quakes followed with a larger one, of 4.1 magnitude, felt soon after Easter lunch just after 3 p.m. This was slightly more powerful than average but still could not be considered to be a big earthquake, said Pauline Galea, who heads the University of Malta’s seismic monitoring unit.
Many of those who felt the first quake described it as an explosion in the distance. One man said he initially suspected it was a fireworks factory that had blown up.
“I felt it faintly in Ta’ Xbiex,” a timesofmalta.com reader wrote, adding: “The bedroom door shook for a second like a blast had occurred far away.”
A Żejtun resident said: “I felt something similar to the effects of having a truck starting its engine behind my front door”.
A young woman from Qormi woke up to the sound of vibrations and her mother, who was in another room, said it was as though there was something in her wardrobe.
An Msida woman said she saw water ripples form in her tea cup just after midnight.
A woman, who was in Sannat, felt her bed shake and looked under it thinking there was her dog there but the pet was nowhere around.
At about 3.03 p.m., a Marsa man was sitting at his computer when the table started moving during the tremor that lasted a few seconds. At the same time, a woman in Xewxika heard a loud, creaking sound and her home started shaking.
There were no reports of damage and the Civil Protection Department received no calls for assistance.
Ms Galea explained the earthquakes occurred at a location 35.85 degrees north, 14.892 degrees east at a depth of 7.1 kilometres.
The first one was followed by other quakes at about the same location. Ms Galea explained that around the island there were a number of “faults”, which are like cracks in the earth’s crust. These faults move occasionally, causing earthquakes that are not always felt on land.
The quakes yesterday were felt because the fault was quite close to Malta’s shores.
This type of activity was normal. However, it was important to monitor it to ensure the movements of the faults were known.
Although some readers compared the event to the tsunami and quake that devastated Japan, Ms Galea explained there was nothing to worry about with a quake like yesterday’s. For a tsunami to take place one would need at least a 7.5 magnitude.
The series of quakes occurred on the day The Sunday Times carried a report on predictions of an earthquake by the Virgin Mary at Borg in-Nadur in her weekly apparitions to Anġelik Caruana. She also predicted that divorce will not go through.
In 1972, Malta was rocked by an earthquake measuring 4.5 on the Richter scale. In 1693, a 7.4 quake close to Sicily had caused extensive damage in Malta.
Just over three weeks ago, on April 1, a 6.1-magnitude undersea quake that rocked the south eastern Aegean Sea, off the north coast of Crete, was felt in several localities in Malta.
The location of the earthquakes may be viewed on the website www.phys.um.edu.mt/seismic, where residents can also fill in the online questionnaire if they felt the quake.
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Mr Paul Licari
Apr 27th 2011, 17:22
The following text has been extracted from the website
http://www.borgin-nadur.org/en/bidu.php
Some Clarifications from the Cenacle Theotokos - 26th April 2011
In the light of certain comments that have been made on the media regarding some alleged messages of the Lady of Borg in-Nadur to Angelik Caruana, the members of the Cenacle Theotokos wish to make the following clarifications:
1. Messages that refer to natural disasters around the world and here in our country go back even to the beginning of the alleged apparitions of the Lady (2006).
2. In these alleged messages, the Lady has insisted upon the prayer of the rosary as a means to free our country and the world from natural disasters.
3. Divorce has been mentioned in the alleged messages of the Lady ever since the beginning of these happenings. There is no direct link between the commencement of messages that mention divorce with the commencement of the proposal to introduce a law in favour of divorce in our country.
4. There are no alleged messages that directly connect natural disasters with the proposal to introduce divorce in our country.
5. There has not been any alleged message that mentions what might be the result of the referendum on the introduction of divorce in our country.
6. We keep clear of all interpretations of these alleged messages that others give and we do not accept responsibility for what others come up with regarding the alleged messages. We even do not consider ourselves in a position to interpret the alleged messages. We leave their interpretation in the hands of persons within the Church who are competent to do so.
7. No one is authorized to write or speak on our behalf. Material that we have published is found on our electronic site: www.borgin-nadur.org
8. The principle message of the Lady of Borg in-Nadur seems to be that she loves us with a true mother’s love and that her heart and the heart of her Son Jesus are hurt due to the sin of mankind. The Lady asks for conversion from the whole of mankind and from Christians. The Lady asks for this conversion by telling us to turn to Jesus by means of Confession, the Eucharist, the rosary, fasting, performing sacrifices and penance.
9. We wish to emphasize that the alleged phenomena that occur in relation to these alleged messages only have a secondary and subsidiary importance to the alleged message of Borg in-Nadur.
10. As to these alleged messages, apparitions and other phenomena: while on the one hand we wish not to deny our own experiences, on the other we submit to the judgement of the competent authorities of the Catholic Church.
11. We wish to encourage those who are following these happenings:
a. To keep to the facts.
b. To be obedience to the Church authorities if these give any directive with regard to these happenings.
c. To build up their faith on the Word of God and on the teaching of the Church.
12. Certain persons who are associated with Borg in-Nadur organize rosary-chains at Borg in-Nadur with the intention that our country be kept free from divorce. Such rosary-chains have long since been held, even before the referendum on divorce and moreover, the prayer intentions have varied over time. In the alleged messages, the Lady has at times herself asked for these rosary-chains to be held.
13. Fr Hayden Williams OFM Cap and Fr David Cefai SJ were not appointed by Church authorities to be present with us, but have accepted our request to accompany us. We do not take their presence with us as though the authorities of the Church have recognized Borg in-Nadur. Moreover, they are not with us to approve or disapprove what takes place at Borg in-Nadur or whatever emerges from these phenomena and alleged messages. Fr Hayden and Fr David are not with us so as to promote or spread the alleged messages of Borg in-Nadur, but rather are there to teach us God’s Word and the teaching of the Church. We feel the need for such accompaniment both for ourselves and for those who attend.
14. We wish to offer the following theological reflection written by Mons. Rene Laurentin in the book: The Apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary Today, p. 123-127. While reflecting on the theme of natural disasters mentioned within various alleged messages given by Our Lady in these times, Mons. Laurentin writes:
“Like previous apparitions those of today are at one and the same time a prophetic message and an evangelical response. The response may appear to be repetitive, even banal. We have heard it before. It makes us look more seriously at a reality we have neglected and forgotten, because for us the urgent often displaces the essential.
The message of the apparitions offers us in the first place a diagnosis: our modern world has abandoned itself happily and quietly to sin. It is destroying itself. The threats are serious. This is what the apparitions are saying in different ways, sometimes in a language intended to shock, at other times in a secret elliptical language…
The apparitions soften and to some degree filter the proclamation of imminent threats… because the intention is not to frighten people or increase their anxieties, but rather to invite them back to the source which will heal their ills and anxieties…
The root of evil is sin (insult to God and the destruction of humanity)…
Our sin destroys the order and the ecology of divine creation. We develop and degrade the world over which we rule. Ecologists are aware of this at the level of the natural rhythms of the world. But there is not sufficient awareness at the level of moral and religious balance through which creation has an essential relationship with the creator, and humankind, under pain of self-destruction, a similar relationship with God. In endeavouring to cut ourselves from the creator, we are like a woodcutter who saws off the branch on which he is sitting. This moral and divine balance is, in the final analysis, the most important aspect…
By destroying the relationship of the creature with the creator sin destroys the creature itself. Through sin we are wounded, physically, bodily and spiritually and the world is destroyed. The evidence is as clear as day.
None of this is vengeance poured out from above but is the intrinsic consequence of human error. Self-destruction is a form of immanent justice. It is not God who is the author of evil, it is we ourselves. We should not forget that, because of human solidarity, evil extends even to the innocent.”
Mr Andrea sant
Apr 26th 2011, 06:21
I felt it yesterday and i felt another one this morning at 6:10 http://www.phys.um.edu.mt/seismic/
i'm worriying a little bit now that at any time a strong earth quake could accur
Chris Mercieca
Apr 25th 2011, 23:03
no mr spiteri, you weren't the only one.
C. Bonello
Apr 25th 2011, 21:17
I felt it too. precisely at the instance of the first thunder roll. Even the sound of the tremor sounded totally abnormal and particular. It felt more like a shockwave pulse rather than an earthquake.
Ms Jo Spiteri
Apr 25th 2011, 12:50
Am I the only one who felt a tremor at exactly 2am last night? Just before the thunderstorm? :(
Ms Cato Lawton
Apr 25th 2011, 21:18
Was it an earthquake? Because it was very unusual thunder!
Mr Andrea sant
Apr 26th 2011, 06:23
no i felt it your not the ony one and i felt another one today at 6:10am it's starting to worry me :(
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