Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Tremors felt in S'pore after massive quake in Indonesia
Sep 12, 2007
TREMORS were felt in many parts of Singapore and scores of office workers fled from high-rise buildings soon after a powerful earthquake hit Indonesia on Wednesday as authorities issued a tsunami warning.
The undersea earthquake, which hit at 6.10pm (7.10pm Singapore time), struck in the sea some 100km south-west of the city of Bengkulu, the US Geological Survey said.
The US Geological Survey initially said on its website there was a quake measuring 8.0, and then a short time later said there was a quake measuring 7.9 at slightly different location causing confusion about the number of quakes.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre has issued a tsunami alert for the entire Indian Ocean region.
The Hawaii-based centre said a watch was in effect for the entire area including Indonesia, India, Sri Lanka, Thailand and the Maldives - countries all affected by the devastating Dec 2004 Asian tsunami.
Malaysia and Sri Lanka have issued tsunami warnings on Wednesday after an earthquake in Indonesia and told people to stay away from beaches, while India also issued an alert for its remote Andaman and Nicobar islands.
Sri Lanka was battered by the 2004 tsunami that hit the Indian Ocean rim.
Australia also issued a tsunami warning for its Christmas and Cocos Islands in the Indian Ocean, urging people to move out of the water and away from low-lying coastal areas.
Several buildings in Padang in West Sumatra were reported to have collapsed, according to Global TV.
Tremors in Singapore
Many readers rang The Straits Times hotline to report tremors felt in Marine Parade, Punggol and Serangoon. Some also reported cracks opening on the roads
'My fish tank was shaking. The water spilled out,' said Mr Lim who lives in Punggol.
Mr Robert Chua said many of neighbours ran out from their flats in his block and gathered in the open.
Another office worker in Toa Payoh, Ms J.W Chen told The Straits Times: 'I was standing and reading the newspapers when I started swaying and felt giddy.
'Then I looked up and saw the big aircon duct moving. The light boxes and other air ducts and water pipes also swayed a few inches from their still position non-stop for a few minutes. My colleague and I didn't want to wait and see, so we got into the lift and rushed out to the street across.'
An AsiaOne reader sent in this posting: 'I am still at my office in Parkview Sqaure in Bugis. I felt the building swayed but I thought it was just me. My sister called me 20 minutes later and told me that Indonesia has been hit by a 7.9 magnitude quake. So that explained why I felt dizzy earlier.
'We are still working at our office here. Hopefully those people directly hit by the quake are safe.'
Fear of tsunami across South-East AsiaIndonesia was the nation worst hit by the earthquake-triggered tsunami of December 2004, which killed some 168,000 people in Aceh province alone.
The archipelago nation sits on the Pacific 'Ring of Fire' where continental plates collide, causing frequent seismic and volcanic activity.
Tremors were felt in many parts of Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand.
'Earthquakes of this size have the potential to generate a widespread destructive tsunami that can affect coastlines across the entire Indian Ocean basin,' the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre said.
'Authorities in the region should take appropriate action in response to the possibility of a widespread destructive tsunami.'
However, the head of the Indonesian meteorology agency said that the threat of a tsunami had likely passed.
Asked whether it was safe to say the threat had passed, the agency chief Suharjono told ElShinta radio, 'We think so.'
'Because if we look at the distance, it (the epicentre) is not even 200 kilometres away, and it would only take some 20 minutes to reach the coast,' he said.
[Extracted from: http://www.straitstimes.com, latest news]
Police, SCDF receive 100 calls on tremors from public
The public is advised that there is no cause for alarm.
The police and Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) received over 100 calls from the public reporting tremors that were felt across Singapore after a massive 7.9-magnitude earthquake struck Indonesia and sparked tsunami warnings around the region.
The tremors were reported at about 7.15 pm on Wednesday, said a police statement.
The Singapore Metereological Services confirmed that an earthquake occured in southwest Sumatra and registered 7.9 on the Richter scale.
Police advise the public that there is no cause for alarm and ask them to stay calm should they experience any tremors.
It also issued the following steps they should follow when tremors occur:
If you are inside a building:
- Take cover under a table
- Keep away from items made of glass or any hanging object
- Do not use the lift
- Do not use any naked light, in case there is a gas leak
If you are in the open, stay there.
After vibrations have stopped:
- Stay away from an exposed electrical cables, hanging glass objects
- Report any gas leakage
- Help the injured, call SCDF if the injiuries are significant
- Report any incidents to the police
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