Lankan scientist predicts another tsunami…By Yohan Perera

A Senior Scientist attached to the National Building Research Organisation (NBRO) yesterday predicted that there could be a movement in the Sumatra plate during the coming days which might result in an under sea quake.

NBRO Scientist H. G. S. Ariyaratne told the Daily Mirror that his prediction was based on the behaviour of under sea species.

He explained that several species of fish which were seen in the Sumatra seas have become widely visible in the seas around Sri Lanka. According to his personal research he had managed to find out that species senses various changes that take place in the sea-bed including changes in plates. “These species move out of the areas when they sense these changes to escape possible quakes,” Mr. Ariyaratne said.

Mr. Ariyaratne said these species which were usually seen in the seas off Sumatra were found around the Sri Lanka seas prior to the 2004 tsunami. “This phenomenon has been visible during several occasions just before under sea earth quakes according to the research I have done,” he pointed out.

He said he was able to predict under sea earth quakes four times in the recent past but stressed that some official research should be made about this development.

“It could be very useful as it could be a breakthrough on predicting an earth quake at a time like this where there is no way of predicting disasters such as earthquakes,” he added.