Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

Quake predictor owes people an apology says minister

Updated at 8:05 pm on 20 March 2011

Minister for the Environment Nick Smith says Ken Ring, who claims to forecast weather and predict earthquakes, owes the people of Christchurch an apology.

He predicted another large earthquake would hit Christchurch on Sunday.

At midday, up to 50 people gathered at a restaurant close to the epicentre of the 22 February earthquake, for an event hosted by the NZ sceptics.

A spokesperson for the NZ Sceptics stated at the lunch that if she had a dollar for every correct earthquake prediction she wouldn't have enough to buy a coffee.

The minister, Nick Smith, says people have left town because of Ken Ring's prediction for an earthquake on Sunday.

A clinical psychologist, Mark Ottley, says a few patients are worried about the predictions and others are angry about the effect Mr Ring is having on vulnerable people.

The Geonet website says there have been two earthquakes near Christchurch on Sunday, the largest being a 3.2 magnitude at 1.42am.

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