GGSA concerned over Ghana’s disaster preparedness, predicts major earthquake soon

The Ghana Geological Survey Authority has expressed concern over the country’s disaster preparedness as it warns increased frequency in earth tremors is an indication that the country will soon face a major earthquake.

Parts of Accra on Sunday were hit with a magnitude 3.6 earth tremor, the second of such occurrence in under a year and the third since 2020.

Speaking to Starr News, Senior Seismologist at the Ghana Geological Survey Authority, Dr. Nicholas Opoku said there’s the need for the country to enhance its preparedness as history tilts towards a major earth quake soon.

“According to the data released by the Ghana Geological Survey Authority, what yesterday was a minor earthquake of magnitude 3.6, which is not an earthquake that can cause disaster. But what makes it a bit worrying is that these days we have been experiencing these small earthquakes unlike the past where it will take quite a long time before you experience such occurrence. Now it is becoming more rampant and that is what we are a bit worried about and therefore calling for a need for preparedness to ensure that a major earthquake doesn’t turn into a disaster. Mostly if you are having this kind of frequent events, it a precursor for a major earthquake to happen and there is precedence to that effect.

Moreover, the last time an earthquake occurred was in 1939 and if you are far from the last earthquake then what it presupposes is that you are getting to a major one. So putting all these in context we think there is the need to prepare. Preparedness is in various forms, let’s work towards response, and recovery. At the moment mitigation is a long term measure and it is about making sure that your infrastructure is resilient to a major earthquake. Since the whole capital city is exposed to an earthquake with its massive infrastructure, mitigation will be a long term measure, and so we are recommending that we should dwell more on preparedness which involves education, sensitization and preparing for response.”