GEORGE TOWN – Tremors were felt in certain areas on the island of Penang after a moderate 5.9-magnitude earthquake struck north Sumatra at 4.57pm on May 11.
Many Penangites, especially those living in high-rise buildings, felt the quake which occurred about 500km away.
In Pulau Tikus, Mr Aaron Tan, 36, who lives on the seventh floor of an apartment, said the tremors “lasted slightly over a minute, and I could even see the chair moving”.
Mr K. Sivan, 45, said he felt the tremors while working on the first floor of a building in Jalan Masjid Kapitan Keling. He initially linked the sensation to his imagination until he checked with friends.
A resident of a high-rise condominium in Tanjung Bungah, who wanted to be known only as Ms Arisa, was in the kitchen when she saw the cabinet “vibrating for about 20 seconds”.
According to a post on the Malaysian Meteorological Department’s Facebook page, the earthquake struck at a depth of 74km, with the epicentre at 3.7 deg north latitude and 97 deg east longitude, about 107km south-east of Meulaboh in Aceh province. There was no tsunami threat from the quake.
THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
Join ST’s Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
