By Nik Nurfaqih Nik Wil
JAKARTA, Indonesia: A magnitude 6.4 earthquake jolted Indonesia’s North Sumatra province on Saturday evening, although authorities reported there was no tsunami threat.
The quake struck just hours after a magnitude 7.7 earthquake hit Flores Island in East Nusa Tenggara, killing at least 38 people.
Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) Earthquake and Tsunami Director, Wijayanto, said the earthquake occurred at 5:54 pm Western Indonesian Time, with its epicentre on land about 11 kilometres southeast of Simalungun at a depth of 168 kilometres.
No aftershocks had been recorded as of 6:16 pm local time, he added.
“Based on the epicentre location and hypocentre depth, the earthquake was an intermediate-depth earthquake caused by tectonic plate subduction activity,” he said in a statement on Saturday.
Wijayanto said the tremors were strongly felt in several areas of North Sumatra, including Tebingtinggi, Kabanjahe and Limapuluh.
He advised residents to remain calm, disregard information from unverified sources and stay away from buildings that had cracked or been damaged by the earthquake.
Earlier on Saturday, a magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck near Flores Island in East Nusa Tenggara at 4:58 am local time, prompting a tsunami warning that BMKG lifted at 7:31 am after sea-level observations showed no further significant rise.
Media reported that the quake and several strong aftershocks killed at least 38 people, while about 2,000 residents evacuated their homes following the disaster.
Meanwhile, in Penang, Penang Fire and Rescue Department’s Director, Mohamad Shoki Hamzah, said the department received nine emergency calls regarding the tremors at around 6:55 pm.
The calls involved four areas in two districts on the island, as well as several areas in Seberang Perai, he added.
“Our personnel have gone to the locations and are conducting further inspections,” he told BERNAMA when contacted today.
The tremors, which lasted for several minutes, were reportedly felt in areas including Sungai Baru, Bayan Baru, George Town, Jelutong, Tanjung Bungah, Batu Ferringhi and Air Itam on the island, as well as Perai, Bagan, Teluk Air Tawar, Jalan Baru, Bukit Mertajam, Kepala Batas and Bertam in Seberang Perai.
A Bagan resident, Syahirah Mokhtar, 45, said she was initially startled when she felt the tremors at her home before contacting her child in Pantai Robina, Bagan, who also experienced the same phenomenon.
She said the tremors lasted about two to three minutes, with water in a cup placed on the table visibly moving. She then went downstairs and found that many residents of the apartment had also done the same.
“Many residents initially did not realise that the tremors were caused by an earthquake because they thought they were feeling dizzy. But some noticed that the hanging lights and ceiling fans in their homes were swaying, so we all decided to go downstairs because we were worried that something might happen,” she said. – BERNAMA
