Dutch scientist, Frank Hoogerbeets, has once again spread fear and anxiety with his latest prediction about a possible earthquake in Pakistan.
Hoogerbeets shot to fame when he ‘accurately’ predicted the devastating earthquakes in Turkey and Syria earlier this year.
Later, he made a similar prediction about an earthquake in Pakistan and India. Fortunately, there was no earthquake in the South Asian region.
Now, the Dutch scientist is back in the news and once again, he has predicted a strong earthquake in Pakistan and Afghanistan.
In a viral alert shared by the Solar System Geometry Survey (SSGEOS) on October 1, the two countries are at risk of a major earthquake in the next 48 hours.
SSGEOS is a Netherlands-based organization known for its seismic predictions. Frank Hoogerbeets in his recent prediction has reported a massive surge of electric activity along the Chaman fault lines, raising concerns about a strong earthquake.
Local news outlets have also jumped on the bandwagon and are reporting about the possibility of strong tremors in the coming hours, creating sensationalism and spreading fear among citizens.
strong fluctuations – potential for strong to major seismic event pic.twitter.com/8OhAv363mp
— SSGEOS (@ssgeos) September 30, 2023
Despite Hoogerbeets’ predictions, the Pakistan Metrological Department (PMD) has advised people to stay calm. Talking to ProPakistani, Deputy Director PMD, Shahzada Adnan, said that the prediction of earthquakes is not possible around the globe. He added that such a prediction is scientifically impossible.
Hoogerbeets and organizations like the SSGEOS have been widely criticized by modern scientists for their inaccurate and ungrounded methodology.
Earlier this year, in response to his tweet, Diego Melgar, an Associate Professor of geophysics at the University of Oregon, wrote, “We call this ‘snake oil’ in the US. Could also be referred to as a ‘quack’. An ‘opportunistic buffoon’ is another term that comes to mind.”
We call this "snake oil" in the US. Could also be referred to as a "quack". An "opportunistic buffoon" is another term that comes to mind…
— Prof. Diego Melgar 🌊 (@geosmx) February 6, 2023
Furthermore, internationally acclaimed science and engineering institute Caltech has clearly stated that “It is not currently possible to predict exactly when and where an earthquake will occur, nor how large it will be.”
