Officials calm anxious residents

Dubai/ Sharjah/ Ras Al Khaimah/ Fujairah: There have been no reports of immediate damage or loss across the UAE after tremors hit almost all the emirates.

Captain Sultan Al Merri, Duty Officer at Dubai Police operations room, told Gulf News the first tremor reports were received from people in parts of Deira and Bur Dubai at 3:08pm.

The tremors first struck off the coast of Sharjah, measuring 4.9 on the Richter scale.

A spokesperson from Dubai Civil Defence said the Operations Room was flooded with calls from people enquiring about the tremors. Civil Defence teams were sent to various parts of Dubai to check for damage.

Sharjah Police said they received many frantic calls from residents who were worried about what to do. Police patrols were sent onto the streets to check for casualties but none was reported.

Anjad police could also be seen calming people who evacuated their buildings as soon as the tremors struck.

A senior officer at the Ras Al Khaimah Civil Defence Department said the department received scores of phone calls from residents.

The officer said people in several areas of the emirate ran out of their homes immediately when they felt the tremors, but police patrols comforted them.

Officials from Fujairah Civil Defence were not available, but a Khor Fakkan Civil Defence source confirmed they received a few calls immediately after the tremors.