Kent earthquake damages hundreds of homes

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Kent was left counting the cost after the biggest earthquake for several years damaged hundreds of homes and left thousands without power.

Residents in the county described houses shaking violently, cracks opening in walls and masonry tumbling to the ground. The total bill could add up to £5million.

One woman in her 30s was taken to hospital with head wounds after being struck by falling debris but other injuries were minor.

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Earthshattering: An elderly lady still in her nightie is helped by police. Rubble from neighbouring houses lie at their feet

Emergency services said it was a miracle more people were not seriously hurt.

The quake, measuring 4.3 on the Richter scale, struck at 8.18am. Its epicentre was nine miles off the Dover coast but it was also felt across East Sussex, Essex and Suffolk. And 140 miles away in Hampshire, a 1,000-yard long and 6in wide crack opened up in a seaside clifftop.

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The tremor damaged hundreds of homes

The Marine and Coastguard Agency (MCA) evacuated beach huts at Barton-on-Sea for fear of a landslide. A spokesman said: We do not know if it is linked to the earthquake but it is too coincidental to ignore.'

The first warning may have come from a dolphin nicknamed Dave, which is spotted regularly by divers and fishermen off the Kent coast.

Andrew Touson, who was walking along the beach in Sandgate when he noticed the dolphin, said: I saw Dave jumping in and out of the water and thought it was strange.

'Then there was a massive tremor. It was like Dave was trying to warn us.'

Brenda Pearson, of Folkestone, was eating breakfast when she heard an almighty rumbling noise' and ran outside to discover that the chimney stacks on her two-storey terrace house had crashed to the pavement.

Through tears, she said: The roof has been destroyed. It was terrifying - I can't stop shaking.'

Neighbours Paula and James Durkin's chimney also fell – on to their car. Mrs Durkin said: James's car was parked outside the house and the chimney landed on it. It's probably a write-off.'

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Tearful: Teenage girls comfort each other after the earthquake

There were unusual scenes as panicked residents filled the streets, many in their nightclothes. In nearby Lympne, Val Harris, 59, said: Wheelie bins were rolling down the hill one after another. It was surreal.'

Kent Fire and Rescue Service took more than 200 calls, most from people concerned about damage to buildings.

Chief Fire Officer Bill Feeley said: Considering the time of the incident, on a weekend when most people were at home, it is a miracle that only one serious injury was sustained.

It could have been a lot worse.'

Police cordoned off the five worst-hit streets in Folkestone to stop passers-by being injured by dislodged bricks and tiles.

Chief Superintendent Alasdair Hope of Kent Police said 38 homes in the town directly affected were already being assessed for damage. A further 80 would be surveyed.

He said: This has been a significant incident but we are using tried and tested contingency and emergency plans to provide for people's safety.'

Most householders will be covered by their home insurance. According to Martin Milliner, head of Operational Claims for LV= General Insurance, previous estimates of similar earthquake damage have put the cost at £2,000-£3,000 for each property.

The Dover Straits has a history of earthquakes, with tremors about every 200 years.

One was recorded in 1382 and a quake in 1580 killed two people in London.

There were smaller tremors in 1776 and 1950. Brian Baptie, of the British Geological Survey, said: There will be weak areas, or fault lines, running under the English Channel.'

The UK's largest recorded quake was in the North Sea about 75 miles north-east of Great Yarmouth in June 1931.

It measured 6.1 and was felt as far away as Norway.

Most recently, in 2002, a 5.0 tremor shook Dudley in the West Midlands.

 

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