Malaysian seismologists fear strong Sumatran quake ahead

Malaysian seismologists fear strong Sumatran quake ahead

KUALA LUMPUR (AP): More earthquakes could occur soon on the
Indonesian island of Sumatra, possibly signaling the recurrence
of a powerful quake that struck the area more than 60 years ago,
the Malaysian Meteorological Service Department said on Friday.

"We worry whether the same type of quake could occur soon (as)
such huge events often happen in 70-year cycles," Mohd. Rosaidi
Che Abas, acting director of the department's Seismology
Division, told the AP.

There have been three major quakes in West Sumatra since Sept.
18, each measuring at least 5 on the Richter scale, he said.

The quakes were said to have occurred in remote areas where
the population and buildings were scarce. It was not immediately
clear if they were related to the earthquake that devastated
central Taiwan earlier this week.

But the latest two quakes on Wednesday and Thursday caused
minor tremors lasting five minutes each in parts of the Malaysian
capital, Kuala Lumpur, Mohd. Rosaidi said.

The tremors in Kuala Lumpur measured 3 on the Modified
Mercalli Intensity Scale, he said. The scale, which ranges from 1
to 12, is an arbitrary ranking based on observed effects such as
the rocking of vehicles or movement of furniture.

No damage was caused by the tremors.

Peninsular Malaysia and Sumatra are separated by the Straits
of Malacca.

In 1935, an earthquake measuring 8 on the Richter scale hit
West Sumatra about 500 kilometers (310 miles) from Kuala Lumpur.
"Luckily, there was not much damage back then since there were no
high-rise buildings," Mohd. Rosaidi said.

He said no contingency plans have been formulated in the event
of such a quake, but members of the public who sensed tremors
could call the department's 24-hour hotline for information.

The department would maintain close contact with its
Indonesian counterparts as there was "risk for damage" to
buildings in the Malaysian capital if such a quake occurred less
than 300 kilometers away, he said.

"No one can really predict if it will happen, but the
possibility is there right now," he said.

Peninsular Malaysia itself is not prone to earthquakes since
it has no active fault lines.