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Rumour strikes terror in Bombay suburbs

Our Correspondent in Bombay

Panic struck residents of Mira Road and Bhayander, extended western suburbs of Bombay, on Monday morning following rumours that an earthquake was about to strike them.

Since 12.15 am, thousands of people took to camping out in the open, in the fear that tremors were about to strike.

The panic lasted well into the small hours of the day, before realisation dawned that there was no imminent danger.

"I returned from night duty at 1 am and was shocked to see all my relatives out on the road as they feared that our building will fall," said Naseem Ahmed, a railway official.

Vinod Shetty, a resident of Shanti Nagar in Mira Road was stunned to see people rushing out of their homes in the dark, urging the others to also follow suit. "I had no option but to come down with my relatives," Shetty told rediff.com.

"We did not sleep till 6 am as we were afraid that the earthquake will strike," added a housewife from Bhayander.

A weather bureau official said there had neither been an earthquake nor were there any aftershocks reported from the city. "Please do not believe in such rumours as earthquakes cannot be predicted," he added.

The Complete Coverage

OTHER SITES WITH INFORMATION
ON THE GUJARAT EARTHQUAKE:
panjokutch.com
kutchinfo.com
ahmedabad.com

EXTERNAL LINKS
The RD Killer Quake of Jan 26, 2001: Technical details
All about earthquakes in India and their impact
India Meteorological Department's earthquake reports
Disaster relief set-up in India
Major earthquakes across the world in recent times
A post-quake volunteer's unusual tryst with the departed
Earthquake News: Web site offering comprehensive news, information and features
Earthquake site map
USGS: Earthquake Hazards Program

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