Malaysian seismologists fear strong Sumatran quake ahead<\/p>\n
KUALA LUMPUR (AP): More earthquakes could occur soon on the
\nIndonesian island of Sumatra, possibly signaling the recurrence
\nof a powerful quake that struck the area more than 60 years ago,
\nthe Malaysian Meteorological Service Department said on Friday.<\/p>\n
\"We worry whether the same type of quake could occur soon (as)
\nsuch huge events often happen in 70-year cycles,\" Mohd. Rosaidi
\nChe Abas, acting director of the department's Seismology
\nDivision, told the AP.<\/p>\n
There have been three major quakes in West Sumatra since Sept.
\n18, each measuring at least 5 on the Richter scale, he said.<\/p>\n
The quakes were said to have occurred in remote areas where
\nthe population and buildings were scarce. It was not immediately
\nclear if they were related to the earthquake that devastated
\ncentral Taiwan earlier this week.<\/p>\n
But the latest two quakes on Wednesday and Thursday caused
\nminor tremors lasting five minutes each in parts of the Malaysian
\ncapital, Kuala Lumpur, Mohd. Rosaidi said.<\/p>\n
The tremors in Kuala Lumpur measured 3 on the Modified
\nMercalli Intensity Scale, he said. The scale, which ranges from 1
\nto 12, is an arbitrary ranking based on observed effects such as
\nthe rocking of vehicles or movement of furniture.<\/p>\n
No damage was caused by the tremors.<\/p>\n
Peninsular Malaysia and Sumatra are separated by the Straits
\nof Malacca.<\/p>\n
In 1935, an earthquake measuring 8 on the Richter scale hit
\nWest Sumatra about 500 kilometers (310 miles) from Kuala Lumpur.
\n\"Luckily, there was not much damage back then since there were no
\nhigh-rise buildings,\" Mohd. Rosaidi said.<\/p>\n
He said no contingency plans have been formulated in the event
\nof such a quake, but members of the public who sensed tremors
\ncould call the department's 24-hour hotline for information.<\/p>\n
The department would maintain close contact with its
\nIndonesian counterparts as there was \"risk for damage\" to
\nbuildings in the Malaysian capital if such a quake occurred less
\nthan 300 kilometers away, he said.<\/p>\n
\"No one can really predict if it will happen, but the
\npossibility is there right now,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Peninsular Malaysia itself is not prone to earthquakes since
\nit has no active fault lines.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/malaysian-seismologists-fear-strong-sumatran-quake-ahead-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}