Hundreds rush out as tremors hit buildings
News Update by The Star Newsdesk
PETALING JAYA: The devastating earthquake in Sumatra, which triggered tidal waves across the region, sent tremors that caused hundreds of people to rush out of their high-rise homes, offices and hotels in various parts of the Malaysia Sunday.
Hundreds of patients at the Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) Hospital in Kota Baru and the Kuala Terengganu Hospital were evacuated after tremors were felt at the buildings.
The tremors were largely felt in Penang, where scores of people were reported killed by the tidal waves, as well as in Kedah, Perlis, Perak, Negri Sembilan, the Klang Valley and the east coast states of Kelantan and Terengganu.
The Penang Bridge, however, was declared safe after specialist engineers carried out visual and structural checks on the bridge and found it unaffected by the tidal wave and earthquake.
Works Minister Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu has directed Penang Bridge Sdn Bhd to do more structural checks on the bridge, with the help of the Public Works Department (PWD).
"We are taking this very seriously as this is the only bridge linking the mainland to the island," he said after presenting prizes to winners of Astro-Vaanavil’s poetry contest in Ipoh Sunday.
Samy Vellu said the Kuala Lumpur City Hall had also directed the PWD to carry out checks on bridges and roads in several locations around the city and the rest of the Klang Valley.
The Meteorological Services Department’s seismology division director, Low Kong Chiew, said the preliminary information received showed that the epicentre of the earthquake was located at latitude 3.1°north and longitude 95.5°east, which was about 680km from Kuala Lumpur and 590km from Penang.
He said following the earthquake, aftershocks were felt on an hourly basis but on reduced magnitudes.
"As we are not protected from the aftershocks, we are concerned over the effects in Langkawi, Penang and other islands.
"But with the aftershocks recorded at lower magnitudes, we estimate that the effects should not be too severe," he said.
In Kota Baru, USM Hospital deputy director (management) Wan Mohd Suyuti Wan Ismail said vibrations were felt in the building at about 9.30am, causing panic.
He said the hospital at Kubang Kerian took fast action by evacuating patients from the building after the vibrations occurred.
"The tremors lasted at least 20 seconds, prompting us to move out the patients for fear that another tremor might happen. We also called Fire and Rescue Department officials to inspect the building before moving the patients back to their beds," he said.
The tremors were also felt at the state police headquarters, causing hundreds of people to run helter-skelter from the seven-storey building.
Telephone operator Nor Aini Hussain, 45, said her table trembled for several seconds, adding: "Everything shook in my office."
Most high-rise buildings in the town, including the Employees' Provident Fund building, Hotel Renaissance and the Mara building reported tremors that caused hundreds of workers to flee for their lives.
However, things returned to normal 15 minutes later and the workers gradually trickled back to their workplace.
In Kuala Terengganu, more than 200 people, including several patients at the hospital here, vacated the buildings after the tremors were felt at about 9.05am.
Patient Nik Rusdi Awang, 38, who was warded on the second floor of the eight-storey hospital, said he walked down the staircase with his wife Rasirah Ghazali, 38.
Office workers at the 12-storey Wisma Persekutuan and the 11-storey Menara Yayasan Islam, which housed federal and state departments, also hurried out of the buildings when the tremors were felt.
"The tremors lasted between 30 seconds and a minute and there was no untoward incident," said State Fire and Rescue Department senior assistant superintendent Mahayadin Mahmadin.
In Fraser’s Hill, student Jonathan Tan said the doors at the Silver Park apartments clattered and the dining table shook in the morning.
"At first we dismissed it as wind causing the doors to rattle but realised it was more serious as the table we were seated at started shaking too," he said.
In the Klang Valley many residents, some still in their pyjamas, rushed to the ground floor after the police, using loud hailers, asked them to leave their homes.
In Putrajaya, residents living in apartments at Precinct 8 and 16 felt the tremors at about 9.30am.
However, no injuries were reported.
Police patrol units were sent to check on the situation at the affected areas after the tremors were felt while the Fire and Rescue Department helped to inspect the buildings structure. No casualties were reported.
City Fire and Rescue Department assistant director (operations) Abu Obaidat Mohamed said telephone calls from the public were pouring in shortly after the tremors.
"We asked them to leave the buildings immediately as a precautionary measure and told them they could return to their homes if nothing happened within half an hour," he said.
Abu Obaidat said the affected areas included the whole of Kuala Lumpur, Kota Damansara, Shah Alam and Port Klang.
"It was a minor shake and lasted for two minutes," he said.
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