PESHAWAR, Feb 12: Millions of people across the NWFP and its adjacent tribal areas spent the Friday night under the open sky in rain and freezing conditions because of a rumour that a major earthquake would hit the region at mid night.

The people made announcements over loudspeakers in mosques in majority of towns and villages in Karak, Lakki Marwat, Bannu, Kohat, Hangu, Dera Ismail Khan, Tank, Peshawar and all other districts and the adjoining tribal agencies early in the evening, creating a panic among the residents who took to open places in heavily overcast conditions that strong tremors would hit these areas some time in the night.

The rumour, which purportedly started in Karak or Lakki Marwat districts around 5pm, spread like jungle fire and the people started making telephone calls to their near and dear-ones in other cities of the province to warn them about the "impending disaster".

In response to a telephone call received from Karak around 6pm, the Dawnbureau soon after contacted the Met Office in Peshawar to clarify the situation regarding the rumour about earthquake.

The official on duty told this correspondent that so far no system was in place or any apparatus was invented any where in the world to predict earthquakes. He termed the rumour misleading and unfounded.

By midnight, announcements were made over loudspeakers in all major cities of the province, including Peshawar, advising the people to come out of their houses and gather in open places to save themselves from the disaster.

Virtually, it was an emergency-like situation in the provincial capital and all the major and small cities and towns across the NWFP.

Following announcements from mosques, the people along with women and children came out from their houses and started assembling in parks, streets, fields and graveyards. Despite a heavy downpour and freezing cold, they were reluctant to return to their homes.

The interesting point of the whole situation was that the rumoured timing of the "likely earthquake" was different in all the districts. In Karak, it was announced that the earthquake would hit between 7pm and 10pm, in Lakki Marwat between 8pm and 10pm, in Kohat between 11pm and 12pm, in Peshawar between 12pm and 12.30am, and in Dera Ismail Khan between 9pm and 11pm. The same was the case in other parts of the province where different timing was given.

An engineer, who telephoned Dawnoffice from Karak around 7pm, said that the "epicentre" of the rumour was Karak, south of Peshawar, where the people in almost all parts of the district had been informed over loudspeakers by the time that an earthquake of high intensity would hit the region.

"Oh, faithful a severe earthquake is about to hit the area. Leave your houses and move to open places", the announcers said.

Following announcements over loudspeakers, the people got panicked and rushed towards open areas on foot or in vehicles. Some terrified families also packed valuables, including gold, cash and personnel documents and rushed towards open areas in the city.

Meanwhile, NWFP Chief Minister Akram Khan Durrani has ordered an inquiry into the rumour and tasked the Special Branch to trace out the responsible elements.

AFGHANISTAN: Tens of thousands of residents scared by rumours of an earthquake spent a chilly night in the open in Kabul and other parts of Afghanistan. The rumour spread after relatives and friends in Peshawar called people in Kabul telling them an earthquake was likely to hit the region, but it was not known what caused the people to expect a tremor.