EARTHQUAKE IN MYANMAR: TREMORS FELT IN PENANG

BUTTERWORTH, March 28 (Bernama) -- Residents in several areas in Penang today also felt tremors due to a strong 7.7 magnitude earthquake that shook an area 16 kilometres northwest Sagaing, Myanmar.

The tremors were felt by office workers and college students in high-rise buildings including in Komtar and George Town as well as residents living in apartment areas around Butterworth here.

Penang Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM) director Mohamad Shoki Hamzah said his department received two calls to the Butterworth Fire and Rescue Station and the Lebuh Pantai BBP in George Town regarding the tremors.

He said that following the calls, firemen and fire engines rushed to monitor a private college in the Lebuh Pantai and a residential building in Butterworth.

"The fire department received the call around 2.44 and 3 pm this afternoon, so far everyone is safe and no untoward incident has occurred.

"The results of the monitoring conducted by the operation commander found that there were no casualties or damage to buildings. "There was only a small tremor in the building," he said when contacted by Bernama today

Earlier, a strong earthquake measuring 7.7 magnitude shook an area 16 kilometres northwest Sagaing, Myanmar, at 06.20.54 GMT on Friday.

The epicentre of the earthquake was located at 22.01 degrees north latitude and 95.92 degrees east longitude, with a depth of 10 kilometres.

Meanwhile, a resident of Butterworth Ling Cheah, 32, said she was washing dishes when she felt a strong tremor in her apartment before pulling her sister out of the house to save themselves.

Ling said it was the first time she felt the tremor, which lasted more than a minute, and as soon as she went down to the compound below the house, she found that many other residents had also come down because they also felt the tremor.

"I was washing dishes and suddenly felt the tremor, at that time I felt dizzy "My head was shaking but I kept dragging my sister down because I was worried about our safety. This is the first time I felt the tremor. I was really scared and shocked," she said when contacted.

A worker at Komtar, Nur Aishah Ridzuan, 24, said she and her friends were working before they felt the tremor and they decided to leave the building because they were worried about their safety.

"We kept going down because we were worried something might happen and I understand someone called the fire department. Thank God everyone is safe," she said, who also felt dizzy from the tremor.

The tremor was also felt by Penang Tourism and Creative Economy Committee chairman Wong Hon Wai, who initially thought he was feeling dizzy due to high blood pressure from heavy workload lately.

"When the tremor hit, it was around 2.30 pm. I was in the office at Komtar and felt a little dizzy. I thought my high blood pressure is acting because I am too busy. However I then realised it was a tremor after receiving information that there was an earthquake in Myanmar.

"The tremor was felt several times and each time it happened for a few seconds, my staff also noticed the tremor and so far, no items in the office were damaged," he said.

-- BERNAMA