You’ve probably felt the tremors yesterday night when a shallow earthquake of magnitude 7.8 hit the western coast of Sumatra. Though it was approximately 1,237 km away, residents in Bishan, Punggol, East Coast, Sengkang and Ang Mo Kio reportedly felt the ground shake — creating some panic among Singaporeans.
So significant were the tremors felt here that both the police and the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) fielded several calls from the public. No reports of injury or “law and order” incidents were noted.
To ease the worries of the post-tremor kancheong spiders, the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) and the Housing and Development board (HDB) have visually inspected and certified buildings to be structurally safe. They’d like to assure you skittish folks that local buildings are “sufficiently robust to withstand tremors caused by distant earthquakes.”
The police have advised that should future tremors be felt, they should take the following steps:
- Take cover under a sturdy table or furniture
- Keep away from items made of glass or any hanging object
- Do not use the lift
- Do not use any naked light, in case there is a gas leak
- Stay away from any exposed electrical cables, hanging glass objects
- Report any gas leakage
- Help the injured, call SCDF if the injuries are significant
- Report any incidents or issues of law and order to Police; and
- Tune in to the radio for updates
If cracks or structural defects are seen, HDB residents should call 24-hour hotlines 6241 7711 and 6275 5555, while those in private buildings should call the BCA at 1800-3425 222.
Meanwhile in Indonesia, a series of aftershocks continued to rock the region through the night and earlier today. Though high casualty rates were initially feared — the tsunami warning was issued, but nothing happened — the National Disaster Mitigation Agency mentions no reports of injuries or deaths in the Mentawai chain of islands off Sumatra.
