Abuja Tremors Everything you need to know about Abuja's earth vibrations

Residents of Mpape and Maitama districts of Abuja were sent into panic mode when earth vibrations hit the Federal Capital Territory on Wednesday, September 5, 2018 and Thursday, September 6.

To calm frayed nerves, the FCT Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has assured residents that there's no cause for alarm and dismissed the threats of a possible earthquake.
"The residents are to note that there is nothing to panic as there is no likelihood of any earthquake disaster in Nigeria as we are not in the earthquake zone," an official statement read.
What's causing the vibrations?

In its statement, FEMA disclosed that the possible cause of the earth vibrations might be as a result of earth tremor.
The agency defined it as a sign of seismic movement within the earth which is caused by sudden breaks along a fault line which results in the sudden release of energy that makes the ground shake.
Tremors can also be caused by stress in underground rocks and may be due to rock blasting and minig activities in the affected area.
Speculation on other causes

Despite FEMA's official explanation for the vibrations, Nigerians have speculated on social media that the vibrations could be due to the fact that Abuja is almost diametrically opposite Fiji, a country that just got rocked with a magnitude 7.8 earthquake.
An earthquake in one location on the globe is bound to create a wave that travels to the diametric opposite side of it and possibly trigger earthquakes.
However, Nigeria is still considered to be safe from an earthquake. According to FEMA, the vibrations are expected to stop soon.
How to survive the vibrations

The agency also highlighted safety tips on what residents should do when the vibrations happen:
1. If a vibration occurs while you're in a building, the safest thing to do is to locate a safe room, drop down and take cover under desks or tables and hold on tight until the vibrations stop.
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Survival tips
(Emergency Survival Skills)
2. If a vibration occurs, it is important to stay away from windows and objects that may fall and cause injury.
3. If caught outdoors when a vibration occurs, it is important to find a clear spot far away from buildings, trees, powerlines and other physical objects that could fall and potentially cause injury.
4. If a vibration occurs while inside a car, FEMA urges that you slow down, drive to a clear space, and stay in the car until the shaking stops.
5. Most importantly, FEMA's top safety tip on how to survive the vibrations is to stay calm and not panic.