`Doomsday' rumours fly thick and fast

`Doomsday' rumours fly thick and fast
JIGNESH VASAVADA

AHMEDABAD, FEB 15: Predictions of further earthquakes are taking a new turn. Graduating from the February 15 quake, they have now gone to the `doomsday' theory. Rumour mills are working overtime after a quake hit El Salvador on Tuesday -- exactly a month after it was hit by a temblor measuring 7.6 on the Richter.

With tremors shaking even parts of Kerala, people are panicking and predicting doomsday. In Kadi town of Mehsana district, news spread like wildfire that the earth was caving in and houses were ``sinking''. Phone lines had snapped, they said, adding that no communication was possible. Authorities in Mehsana clarified that they had to deal with wild crowds who ``were abandoning their homes.''

Closer home, offices in Ahmedabad downed shutters earlier than usual on Wednesday. Almost the entire populace seems to be reconciled to the thought of camping outside for the night. It was as if the Republic Day scare was back -- tents, temporary shelters and cars were lined up in all open grounds. People latched on to any piece of information -- rumours quoting the most credible sources, including the BBC, AIR, DD and newspapers did the rounds.

Newspaper offices have been receiving phone calls from frantic citizens seeking clarifications. Amdavadis were hellbent on finding out whether ``the quake was confirmed'' and ``if it was worth paying heed to these predictions''. Even the AMC and the Collectorate were flooded with calls. No amount of convincing seemed to help, as logic seemed to have deserted everyone.

``The quake has truly shaken us up. We are now vulnerable to any kind of mischief and everybody is behaving like a fool,'' laments Ketan Shah, a businessman and resident of Soham Towers in Vastrapur. ``For the past two days, there is a child who comes out on the road and shouts bhago

(run), and everybody simply runs out, only to realise it was mischief,'' claims Niyati Shah of Yogeshwar Flats in Gurukul.

One ``sickness'' that has afflicted everyone is the ``feeling tremors'' syndrome. ``Everytime I feel that the ground moved, I note down the time and then verify with others around me. If they do not agree then I check the next morning's newspapers to confirm my doubt,'' says Shefali Patel of Kirti Flats in Gurukul.