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 Sunday (May 11).
Many Penangites, especially those living in high-rise buildings, felt the quake which occurred about 500km away.
In Pulau Tikus, a resident living on the 7th floor of an apartment felt the tremors.
“They lasted slightly over a minute, and I could even see the chair moving,” said Aaron Tan, 36.
Another Penangite, K. Sivan, 45, said he felt the tremors while working on the first floor of a building on Jalan Masjid Kapitan Keling.
He initially thought it was his imagination but later his friends confirmed it.
A resident of a high-rise condominium in Tanjung Bunga, who only wanted to be known as Arisa, said she also felt the tremors while cooking.
“I was in my kitchen when suddenly I saw my kitchen cabinet vibrating for about 20 seconds,” she said.
According to a post on the Malaysian Meteorological Department’s Facebook page, the earthquake struck at a depth of 74km, with the epicenter located at 3.7° north latitude and 97.0° east longitude, about 107km southeast of Meulaboh in Aceh province.
However, there is no tsunami threat from the quake.
