New tremors shook the region around the town of Al-Eis on Tuesday, with the strongest quake reaching 3.66 on the Richter scale. Nine tremors in total were recorded, all registering above three degrees on the scale, but no human or material losses were reported to Civil Defense authorities in the area. Saleh Al-Muhawis, Civil Defense head in Madina, said that 40 buses were standing by should residents require emergency evacuation, with further unlimited numbers ready to come in if necessary. He added that all Civil Defense vehicles and even private cars would be used in the event of a compulsory evacuation, having previously noted on Sunday a reluctance on the part of local residents to leave their homes and move to emergency shelters. Al-Muhawwis said that authorities were closely monitoring any signs of increased volcanic activity, such as subterranean gas emissions, which may give an early indication of danger. Villages in the Al-Eis area, which lies to the north east of the city of Yanbu, were shaken by two significant tremors on Saturday, registering 3.7 and 3.82 degrees on the Richter scale. Civil Defense sources in Hail said that all staff vacations have been suspended in readiness for any emergency.
