Friday September 14, 2007
Heed tsunami warnings
PENANG: The police are disappointed with Penangites who ignored orders to stay clear of the promenades in Gurney Drive and Esplanade following a tsunami warning issued on Wednesday night.
“Heed our warning. It is for your own good. If a tsunami had really hit that night, those who lingered on could have been seriously injured or even lost their lives,” said George Town OCPD Asst Comm Azam Abd Hamid.
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Unconcerned of danger: Many curious onlookers gathering along the coastal area of Gurney Drive in Penang on Wednesday night to look out for tsunamis. |
Waves reaching up to 3m pounded the promenade and left the place covered in silt, mud and debris then.
The other places badly hit were the southern coastal areas of Balik Pulau and the northern beaches from Teluk Bahang to Tanjung Tokong. A total of 52 people died in Penang as a result of the tsunami.
Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) lecturer Prof Koh Hock Lye said many Penangities were either not concerned or ill-informed of the danger of tsunamis.
He explained that tsunamis occurred in a series of waves and was not a single large wave as commonly perceived.
“The people must vacate when there is a tsunami warning. It is very dangerous because the waves often take hours to dissipate. That is why the tsunami warning in Indonesia was issued, withdrawn and reissued,” he added.
Related Stories:
Let tsunami victims move in first, says Koh
Fears of 2004 come flooding back for victims
Tremors send folk scurrying out of high-rise buildings around the country
Earlier Stories:
Tremors felt in Penang, too
Quake felt in Malaysia
Penang seaside spots cleared for fear of tsunami
Tsunami warning withdrawn
Earthquake: 10 killed as huge tremor triggers tsunami alert
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