A strong 6.4-magnitude earthquake struck North Sumatra at 6.54pm on Saturday, sending tremors across Penang Island and the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia.
The Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) said the quake hit at a depth of 154km, with its epicentre located at 2.9° north latitude and 98.8° east longitude, about 37km southwest of Permatang Siantar in North Sumatra province. There was no tsunami threat, The Star reported.
The quake occurred roughly 500km from Penang, but its depth and magnitude allowed the vibrations to travel across the Strait of Malacca and reach high-rise residents on the island.
Aaron Lim, 50, who lives on the 7th floor of an apartment in Pulau Tikus, said he initially thought he was having a medical episode. “I was watching TV when I felt the movement. At first, I thought I was having a vertigo attack,” he told The Star. “Then I realised that the building was shaking mildly. I have experienced tremors before, where I could feel my apartment building swaying.”
Sean Wazi, 45, felt the shaking at his flat in Teluk Kumbar, on the southern end of the island. “Many of my neighbours screamed, and some of them ran out of the flat fearing for their safety,” he told The Star. The tremors reached across a wide stretch of the state.
The Vibes compiled social media reports placing the shaking in Balik Pulau, Batu Ferringhi, Tanjung Tokong, Straits Quay, Bayan Lepas, Air Itam, Greenlane, Jelutong, Macallum, Bukit Mertajam and Butterworth.
The Penang Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM) confirmed receiving five distress calls, four from the island’s Northeastern and Southeastern districts and one from Seberang Perai. Operations Assistant Director John Sagun Francis said no injuries or damage have been reported so far.
MetMalaysia said tremors may be felt in areas along the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia. The department did not issue a tsunami warning, noting the quake’s depth of 154km placed it well below the threshold for ocean displacement.
Indonesia sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire, where tectonic plates converge. Earthquakes originating in Sumatra regularly send tremors across the Strait of Malacca to Peninsular Malaysia, though structural damage on this side is rare at these magnitudes and distances.
