Palma de Mallorca.The research, published yesterday in Santander, said that parts of Spain, particularly the Gulf of Cadiz and the Balearics could fall victim to a tsumani on a scale even larger than the one that hit Indonesia in 2004 killing 200'000 people.
Scientists also pointed out that unlike in the majority of other countries which have tsunami alert systems in place, there have been no measures taken by national, regional or local governments to introduce tsunami warning procedures, no emergency response programme and no measures to prepare the local population.
Furthermore, the study claimed, areas of the Mediterranean such as Almeria and Murcia or certain areas of the Balearic Islands could be flooded with waves of over three metres high.
At yesterday's presentation, Mauricio Gonzalez who is the chief researcher at the Water and Environmental Research Institute in Cantabria, highlighted the fact that Spain is at a high risk of suffering a tsunami, especially the Gulf of Cadiz and the Balearics.
Gonzalez said that the government should look very seriously at its responsibility to collaborate internationally to put a global tsunami warning system in place.
He suggested that in an era of economic crisis, governments might not put such a warning system on their top priority lists but he said that it should be, bearing in mind the possible risk to life and limb.