An expert has rejected the possibility of a huge earthquake measuring 10 on the Richter Scale that might hit the Arabian Gulf region, including the eastern region of the Kingdom, from April 25 to 30, local media said.

The news, which was circulated over social media, quoted data from a non-existent US government department, US Geology Agency, claiming the earthquake will result in deaths of large number of people.

Abdullah Al-Musnad, a professor at the geography department at Qasim University, said the report was poor in content and language, and the originator might intended to spread the rumor.

Al-Musnad said that since their inception, no global seismometer has registered an earthquake of that magnitude.

According to Al-Musnad, earthquakes normally occur unexpectedly and are different from other environmental hazards, which are predictable in time or space.

From a scientific point of view, earthquakes occur in the eastern parts of the Arabian Peninsula, Iran and Iraq when Arabian rocky plate collides or converges with Iranian plate. According to geologists, Arabian plate is moving two cm per year toward the northeast, under the Iranian rocky plate.

Scientists say the collision between the Arabian and Eurasia plate is pushing up the Zagros Mountains of Iran, causing a major threat to those living in southeastern Turkey. The collision also results in the shape of earthquakes, tsunamis and volcanic eruptions.

In the Kingdom, thousands of people fled from homes and offices in the Eastern Province last week after tremors were felt from a massive earthquake in Iran.

There were reports of tremors in Dammam, Alkhobar and other parts of the Eastern Province.

Tremors were also felt in other Gulf States and as far as Pakistan and India. A building in Riyadh was evacuated after office workers felt the structure was shaking. However, no injuries were reported in the Eastern Province or Riyadh.