Shanghai seismologists have denied a rumor that the city will be hit by a strong earthquake and a tsunami this year, alleviating local worries.

Eastday.com reported a female white collar worker from a local company phoned them, revealing an online poster popular recently had spread prophesies on the disasters. Both she and her colleagues felt terrible.

However, experts with the city's seismological bureau suggested citizens not believe these rootless hearsays. Preconditions for severe quakes and tsunamis are not available around Shanghai, according to scientific data collected in the past centuries, they said. No seismological abnormalities hinting at possible quakes have been detected either.

(CRI January 15, 2007)