Barran Press
Rock slides have renewed in the Do'an Valley of Hadhramaut Governorate, eastern Yemen, local sources reported on Tuesday evening, July 16, 2024.
The sources told "Barran Press" that new rock slides occurred in the afternoon in the village of "Basim" in the Do'an district of Hadhramaut. They added that the slides caused tremors felt by residents of homes near the mountain site.
The sources explained that large rocks tumbled down from the mountain, causing tremors felt by residents of Basim village. The incident also led to the appearance of wide cracks and fissures in the "Basim Fortress" mountain, accompanied by rising dust and debris.
A specialized team from the Hadhramaut Geological Survey and Mineral Resources Authority had previously descended to the site of the incident and conducted a technical study on the rock slides in Basim Mountain in the Do'an Valley.
Engineer Faiz Basirah, Director General of the Hadhramaut Geological Survey and Mineral Resources Authority, who visited the site of the collapse at the head of the specialized team, stated that "the study's data revealed that the primary cause of these collapses is the lack of homogeneity in the rock characteristics of the upper limestone layer with the water-saturated sandstone layer, with a clay layer between them."
He added in a press statement monitored by "Barran Press" that this "led to saturation and an imbalance between the rock masses, resulting in a disruption and imbalance in equilibrium, leading to cracks and fissures in the upper hard rock layer and rock slides."
According to Basirah, the area of the rock slide in the village of Basim Fortress Mountain extends to 200 meters in length. He confirmed that "the study's data indicate that the collapses will continue and may expand over the next ten years," he said.
On June 11, 2024, Basim Fortress Mountain village in the Do'an Valley experienced sudden rock slides, causing concern among residents and leading to a wave of displacement from homes near the collapse site.