MMS Says Social Media Posts Warning of an Earthquake in the Maldives Are False Claims

The Maldives Meteorological Service has issued a statement urging the public to disregard social media posts and messages that claim to predict upcoming earthquakes, labelling such claims as false and unscientific.

The service confirmed that the current claims circulating online are entirely false and that there is no scientific method capable of accurately predicting when or where an earthquake will occur. While seismic monitoring stations continue to track real-time earthquake activity across the region, the predictions of future events circulating on social media are not based on reliable data.

Recent incidents in other countries where similar false predictions have caused public panic. In Myanmar, authorities arrested a social media influencer with over 300,000 followers who claimed to have predicted a major earthquake following a powerful 8.2 magnitude tremor in March 2025. The video spread widely, amassing over three million views and causing some residents to flee their homes and sleep outdoors out of fear. Experts later confirmed that the individual had no geological background and had based the prediction on astrology and palmistry.

The Maldives Meteorological Service continues to monitor seismic activity in the region. The country sits on the aseismic Maldive Ridge and is generally not prone to significant seismic activity, though earthquakes along the Carlsberg Ridge in the Indian Ocean are occasionally recorded.

The public is advised to rely only on official announcements from relevant authorities for accurate information regarding seismic events.