Anxiety over earth movements in Plateau commuinity (Photos)

By James Moses (9News Nigeria -Jos)

A team of experts that carried out investigation on earth movement in Zot commuinity of Barkin-Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau State, at the weekend, said there was no need to panic over the recent incident witnessed in the community.

Recall that April 3, 2024, the sudden earth movements were experienced in part of Zot commuinity, Barkin-Ladi Local government area of Plateau State.

The movements were accompanied by large noises that sounded like explosions, leaving members of the community terrified as walls of some buildings were cracked while ceilings of some homes were shattered in the community.

However, the community immediately reported the incident to Barkin Ladi local government area authorities, who reported same to the state’s Ministry of Environment.

The Director, Exploration, in the Ministry, Samuel Jaryam, also visited the community on April 9, 2024, and confirmed the occurence of the earth movements.

He then led a team of experts to unravel the remote causes of the earth movements following the approval of the state governor, Barrister Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang.

The experts included Associate Professor Raymond Daspan, who is the Head of Geology Department, University of Jos, Dr. Afonime Akpan (Seismalogist), Assistant Director Centre for Geodesy and GeoDynamics, and Dr. Kehinde Ogunmola(Structural Geologist), Assistant Director National Centre for Remote Sensing, Jos.

Açcording to the document released by the team, they carried out detailed investigation from April 18 to 19, 2024, after which they arrived at the conclusions that the earth movements were not likely a tremor or an earthquake and that it might be as a result of expansion and contraction of the rock due to the intense temperature that is experienced lately, which led to the release of pressure and subsequent cracking of the rocks and the buildings in the community.

They also disclosed that it might also be due to the lowering of the water level with the attendant release of water from fractures and cracks within the rock which eventually led to a mechanical failure, hence the earth movements and loud noise observed by members of the community.

The team, therefore assured them that there was no cause for alarm over the matter and that further detailed investigation would be carried out to ascertain the exact cause(s) of the earth movements.

-9News Nigeria.