Successive tremors hit Harrat Ash-Shaqqah in Al-Eis region late Tuesday and continued until Wednesday morning. Residents of Hadmah, Al-Qarrassah, Al-Maramiyah, Milh, Massadir, Al-Qassabah, Al-Nuwaissifah, As-Souq Al-Qadeem and Al-'Uyaynah villages felt the tremors which registered 3.9 on the Richter scale. The intensity of the tremors was the strongest since the beginning of the seismic activity in the region last week. Saleh Al-Muhawis, Director General of the Civil Defense in Madina Region, said magma (molten rocks below the surface) was pushed by some force from a de pth of 8 km to a depth of 4 km below the surface. This, according to geologists, is considered a dangerous indication. Al-Muhawis said geologists are of the view that if the force can push the molten rocks to 4 km below the surface, it can push it a further 4 km towards the surface resulting in an explosion and a volcanic eruption. A committee formed of the Civil Defense and Saudi Geological Survey admitted that the tremors caused several cracks in a house belonging to Saudi national Mus'id Salim Al-Hafidh. However, the committee declined to reveal the full results until further investigations. Meanwhile, an evacuation drill was carried out Wednesday morning at Imam Muhammad Bin Abdul Wahab Qur'an Memorization School involving 280 students. The school's headmaster Abdullah Marshad Al-Sinani came up with the idea of an evacuation drill to keep the students ready for any emergency sitaution.
