Small earthquake hits Drenthe village

A small earthquake, registering 2.0 on the Richter scale, hit the Drenthe village of Dalen on Tuesday morning. The quake happened at a depth of three kilometers, and was so light that many people did not even notice it, RTV Drenthe reports.

"Gas is extracted near Dalen. We also believe that the earthquake has to do with that", Laslo Evers, seismologist at meteorological institute KNMI, said to the broadcaster. There were previously gas extraction quakes near Dalen in 2000 and 2002.

As far as is known, no damage reports were filed. Only two people reported feeling the earthquake to the KNMI. "They indicated that it felt like a heavy truck was driving down the street", Evers said. "People may not have felt anything. One quake is more noticeable than another, and one home is more susceptible to vibrations than another."

According to Evers, Dalen residents don't have to worry about future earthquakes. "It's relatively small gas fields around the village, unlike those in Groningen. I see no indication that more quakes will come."