The regional road in the area next to the viewpoint in the parish of Raminho (municipality of Angra do Heroísmo), Azores, is expected to remain closed “for the next few days for safety reasons” following the landslide that followed the recorded earthquake. morning.
In a note published today, the Regional Office of Civil Protection and Fire Protection of the Azores (SRPCBA) reports that the earthquake, which occurred at 7:19 local time (8:19 Lisbon time) today, measured magnitude 4.5 on the Richter scale. , “a collapse on the Regional Road, in an area near the viewpoint in the district of Raminho (municipality of Angra do Heroísmo), blocking the road with stones and debris.”
“The road is now clear. However, given the instability of the slope, the road must remain closed to traffic for the next few days for safety reasons until an assessment by the Regional Construction Laboratory (LRC) is carried out,” the statement said. statements by the President of the Civil Defense of the Azores, Rui Andrade.
Also, according to the head of the Regional Civil Protection and Fire Service of the Azores, “no casualties or property damage were recorded.”
SRPCBA urges the public not to travel to the affected area while the road is closed and asks that alternative routes be used until authorities advise otherwise.
The Angra do Heroísmo Fire Department, the Regional Public Works Department and the Angra do Heroísmo Municipal Civil Protection Service were at the scene in the morning.
The SRPCBA also advises the public to take self-protection measures against earthquakes, adding that it continues to monitor the situation, issuing new alerts as necessary.
In a statement, the Angra do Heroísmo municipal council said the results of the requested analysis were awaited “as a matter of urgency from the Regional Laboratory of Civil Engineering” with a view to opening the road.
“The Municipal Civil Protection Service of Angra do Heroismo continues to monitor the situation,” the note also said.
This morning the earthquake was felt on the islands of Terceira and Sao Jorge.
According to the CIVISA website, the earthquake occurred at 7:19 a.m. local time (8:19 a.m. in Lisbon) and had an epicenter approximately one kilometer north-northwest (NW) of Cerreta, Terceira Island.
“According to the information currently available, the earthquake was felt with maximum intensity VI (modified Mercalli scale) in zone W of the municipality of Angra do Heroísmo, namely in the parishes of Serreta, Raminho, Altares, Doze Ribeiras and Santa Barbara. (Terceira Island). This event was also felt in the rest of the parishes of the island of Terceira and on the island of São Jorge,” CIVISA reports.
The event “is part of the ongoing seismic-volcanic crisis on the island of Terceira since June 2022,” it said.
On the Richter scale, earthquakes are classified by magnitude into micro (less than 2.0), very small (2.0-2.9), small (3.0-3.9), weak (4.0-4.9), moderate (5.0-5.9), strong (6.0-6.9), large (7.0-7.9), important (8.0-8.9), exceptional (9.0- 9.9) and extreme (when more than 10).
The Modified Mercalli Scale measures “degree of intensity and corresponding description.”
At intensity III, considered weak, the shock is felt inside the house and hanging objects sway, feeling “a vibration similar to that caused by the passage of heavy vehicles,” the Institute of the Sea and the Atmosphere (IPMA) describes on its Internet page.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
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