A Deputy Director at the Geological Survey Department in Accra, Mr. Paul Amoako, says so far as the whole world is concerned, Ghana is not in the major earthquake zones, but that should not deceive Ghanaians that an earthquake cannot occur in the country.

He said a study has revealed that the whole coastal belt of Ghana is prone to earthquake, including Ho in the Volta Region and Akosombo in the Eastern Region.

He said the study further revealed that places like Kumasi, Sunyani and other towns within the middle belt of the country have the symptoms that cause earthquakes, but are not as major as those within the coastal belt.

Speaking at a public awareness education programme on earthquake disasters in Takoradi last Friday. Mr. Amoako said this revelation has made it imperative for Ghanaians to contact the Geological Survey Department for the necessary research before they put up their buildings, especially in the areas that have been declared as earthquake-prone zones.

The Western Regional Minister, Mrs. Lily Nkansah, in a speech read on her behalf, disclosed that the government has acquired 3.5 million deutch marks technical assistance, from the Geological Survey of Germany and for their counterparts in Ghana to carry out a detailed engineering and environmental geological studies in Accra-Tema and their environs.

This project, she said may later cover all the metropolitan and urban centres, with the view to providing baseline geological data to show areas for landfalls, landslides, swelling clays, faults, structures and unconsolidated grounds.

"When we talk about disasters, especially earthquakes, it is the whole community that is at risk. It should therefore be our collective responsibility to develop effective awareness creation, mitigation and preparedness strategies," she said.