Tremors from an earthquake in Indonesia shook Singapore and Malaysia on Friday (Feb 25) morning after the 6.2 magnitude quake struck in the western part of northern Sumatra.
The quake which is known to have killed at least two people and injured 20 or more, struck nearly 70m from the town of Bukittinggi in West Sumatra province.
The Meteorological Services Singapore confirmed earlier in the day that that an earthquake had struck Sumatra on Feb 25 at around 9.40am.
In Singapore, Ang Mo Kio, Kallang, Punggol, Queensway, Redhill and Simei were among the parts that experienced tremors in the morning.
Channel News Asia said that its readers also reported feeling the shakes in Bugis, Choa Chu Kang, Hougang, Kembangan, Kim Chuan, Marine Vista, Punggol, Queen Street, River Valley, Serangoon, Tanjung Rhu, among other places.
“After three or four seconds it was gone,” Ms Nurul Hudaa Mohamed Daud told CNA. She had been in an office building at Parkway Parade at the time.
CNA also quoted a reader called Alvin as saying that he was at the Marina Bay Financial Centre when he felt the quake. He told CNA he thought he was having an attack of vertigo,  “but then my colleague stopped typing and we looked at each other and confirmed that she also felt the building was shaking”.
The quake was strong enough to prompt engineers from the Housing Board and Building Control Authority checked on the structural safety of buildings here after the tremors were felt and confirmed that it had not been affected by the quake.
In its final update on the tremors at about 5.22pm on Friday (Feb 25), the Singapore Police Force (SPF) said in a Facebook post that “engineers from the HDB and BCA completed the inspection on the structural safety of 42 buildings affected by the tremors caused by the earthquake in Northern Sumatra.
“Members of the public who were indoors and felt the tremors have been advised to take cover under a table and to keep away from items made of glass or any hanging objections. They were also advised not to use the lift or use any naked light, in case of a gas leak. For those who were outdoors, they have been advised to keep away from buildings and overhead electric cables”, the SPF added in its post.
While the country’s geophysics agency BMKG said that there was no risk of a tsunami or immediate reports of major damage, the quake, which was on land at a depth of 10 km (6.21 miles), was felt strongly in the nearby cities of Padang in West Sumatra province and in Pekanbaru in Riau Province, a TODAY online article reported.
Netizens in Singapore posted various videos of light fixtures shaking, with some posting videos of a shaking fish tank.
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The last time that tremors from an earthquake were recorded in Singapore was in 2017, said the Meteorological Service.
/TISG