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Last update - 00:43 02/07/2008 Following Israeli report, Lebanon villagers fear major earthquake By DPA Tags: earthquake, Lebanon BEIRUT - Hundreds of villagers in southern Lebanon prepared to sleep outdoors on Tuesday amid rumors the region could be hit by a strong earthquake. The panic was apparently triggered by a letter from Israeli authorities to health officials in the north of the country, in the part bordering Lebanon, advising them to make preparations for such an event. But the secretary-general of the National Scientific Research Center in Lebanon, Moeen Hamzeh, dismissed the idea. Advertisement "Chances of having an earthquake are impossible," he said in a statement published by the state-run National News Agency. Since February, abnormal seismic activity has been noted in southern Lebanon, which had suffered some 500 minor earthquakes in a three-month period. "The tremors increased significantly in May and June and this is what caused the worries and alerted us but no one can ever predict such earthquakes," Hamzeh added. Lebanese radios quoted the Israeli Health Ministry as warning Monday of an increased likelihood of a powerful earthquake originating in Lebanon and being felt by neighboring Israel. Some seismologists in Israel say that strong quakes have historically rocked the region every eight decades, and the last one was nearly 81 years ago. About 300 people were killed in Jerusalem and nearby Jericho by the July 11, 1927 temblor. A powerful quake in 1837 that hit the Houla Valley near the border with northern Israel devastated the town of Safed and killed some 4,000 people. Related articles: Government to hospitals: Get ready for major earthquake in north Recent tremors raise fears of potentially destructive earthquake In the case of an earthquake, it's better not to be in Safed Bookmark to del.icio.us   Death penalty Iran hands down death sentence to man who spied for Israel. Robot hospital The place where IDF treats droids wounded in the line of fire.   1.   "Chances of having an earthquake are impossible" 23:07  |  David G 01/07/08   2.   Earthquake will destroy the...... 00:10  |  leo 02/07/08   3.   The Impossibility of earthquakes and Hezballah 00:13  |  Avshalom Beni 02/07/08   4.   thank you israel! 01:35  |  Lj 02/07/08   5.   He said it`s impossible to predict an earthquake 04:50  |  Lebanese in Canada 02/07/08

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