11 April 2012
It was almost 4.40pm. I was in the office doing my work when I heard the office suddenly becomes so noisy and chaotic. I was wondering what's happening. Is there some kind of celebration? Or they heard any exciting news? Or maybe because 5pm coming soon, and everyone is excited to go back home? I saw some people walked into my cubicle and talked to my colleague. Not sure what are they talking about. Then suddenly I realize the whole building is shaking! OMG It's earthquake!
*Update status on Facebook: Earthquake!, thinking I'm the first to update the earthquake status lol*.
Everyone's rushing to the window, as if tsunami is coming soon. Then they said people from company beside already evacuate the building and gather outside. Wow! So serious? My colleague asked us to go down to assembly area and gather. Everyone quickly grab their purse, phone, car keys, and other important belongings and walked to the assembly area. My friend and I looked at each other, feeling confused, is that necessary to evacuate? There's no emergency alarm or securities come to chase us. Then we slowly take our belongings and walked to the assembly area. My heart was pounding fast! Everyone started calling to their friends and family. Gosh... I could feel the tremor on the first floor in my office. What about my family, staying 11th floor high! That's gonna be even worse! I hurriedly browse through my mum's HP number can call but couldn't get through. Same goes to my house phone and everyone's complaining that the line is down. Maybe too many people calling each other. Luckily my phone was still connected to the office Wifi. Lol the car park is so far away from the office and I still stay connected. I checked for updates on Facebook and saw someone posted: Earthquake in North Sumatra, 8.6 magnitude, same place as 2004 with 9.1 magnitude. Oh my god.. That's really strong tremor. Previously in 2004, I didn't feel any earthquake that time as I was still on bed sleeping till my mum woke all of us up and shouted earthquake! Prepare to run just in case if anything happens! Lol I was so blur and just sat on the chair with my eyes half opened. =p We gather for about 20 minutes before we're allowed to dismiss and go back home. That time was already after 5pm. Time to go back! I don't think anyone stayed in the office for OT. I got scared, I just want to go back home immediately!
Once I got home, only my grandma and Kiko at home. She told me that time during earthquake, she just came out of the toilet feeling dizzy, and all the room doors keep shaking and slamming. Kiko kept barking, neighbour panicking and went downstair. They asked my grandma to follow them too but she's too tired to use the staircase and go down 11 floors. Phew. Glad that everything's back to normal now. So I stayed updated on Facebook, watching some news videos, pictures of shopping malls going chaotic.
Source: Penang Lang Facebook.
As I was chatting with my friend on Facebook, around 6.40pm, again I felt the tremor for the
second time. Gosh, not again! This time it was
8.2 magnitude, same location. I feel like wanna cry. The whole building was shaking like mad and my grandma keep shouting at me, "It's shaking again!". Feeling so panic, not knowing what to do. Should I run down the building? But what for? Waiting for it to collapse on us? No point for us to run anywhere. I tried to calm myself down. Then I don't feel the quake anymore. I went back to my PC and check Facebook. Minutes later, it started shaking again. T_T I want this to stop. I can't take it anymore. Feels like the end of the world is coming soon. I couldn't imagine what will happen later. Sigh.
Shared messages on FB:
Dear friends, please stay away from the beach as there's a tsunami alert going on for the earthquake in Northen Sumatra, scaling 8.9M. It is estimated to reach Penang in about 1311zulu, which is 2111Hour (9.11pm) in Penang. Please do spread the news around. Please share!!
Please share. Initial tsunami wave prediction arrival times:
1. Georgetown - 09:11pm 11th April 2012 MY Time
2. Port Dickson - 02:10am 12th April 2012 MY Time
3. Singapore - 07:51am 12th April 2012 MY Time
Please take note! Gurney drive had been blocked by Bomba from 6pm onward! Citizens are not allow to enter gurney drive!
Source: Penang Lang Facebook.
Queensbay Mall after second earthquake. All shops closed by 7pm already! EMPTY!
I kept hearing Bomba siren leaving their stations here. That siren is freaking me out!
Check out
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/map/ for the latest news on earthquake worldwide.
Also this
http://ptwc.weather.gov/ for the Tsunami alert. Later, Watch Cancellation, Tsunami Threat alert cancelled off for Thai, Singapore and Malaysia. Thank god! No more tsunami threat! Penang is safe now! =D
I feel afraid to sleep tonight. I even bathed quickly, don't wanna be left out just in case if the building is shaking again, I don't wanna run off just with towel! XD
More news:
PTWC lifts Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore off its tsunami watch list. [
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2012/4/11/nation/20120411205049&sec=nation]
KUALA LUMPUR: The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre (PTWC) lifted Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore and Myanmar off its tsunami watch list in an advisory at 7.51pm on Wednesday.
Later at 8.36pm the PTWC also lifted the tsunami watch for all areas in the Indian Ocean, including India, Sri Lanka and Maldives.
Meanwhile, Bernama reports that Malaysian students in Aceh and Padang safe following the earthquake that hit Sumatra at 3.38pm local time on Wednesday.
Massive 8.6 quake, aftershocks off Aceh, tsunami alert on (Updated)
[
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2012/4/11/nation/20120411165828&sec=nation]
BANDA ACEH, Indonesia: A powerful 8.6 magnitude earthquake and strong aftershocks struck off Indonesia on Wednesday, sending people as far away as southern India scurrying from buildings and raising fears of a disastrous tsunami as in 2004.
The first quake struck at 0838 GMT and an 8.2 magnitude aftershock just over two hours later, at 1043 GMT. Two more strong aftershocks hit later.
"There is no tsunami threat although we are on alert,"
Yudhoyono said he had ordered a disaster relief team to fly to Aceh, which was devastated by the 9.1 magnitude 2004 quake, which sent huge tsunami waves crashing into Sumatra, where 170,000 people were killed, and across the Indian Ocean.
In all, the 2004 tsunami killed about 230,000 people in 13 Indian Ocean countries, including Thailand, Sri Lanka and India.
Factbox - Largest earthquake since 1900
[
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=%2F2012%2F4%2F11%2Fworldupdates%2F2012-04-11T100655Z_1_BRE83A0DS_RTROPTT_0_UK-INDONESIA-EARTHQUAKE-STRONGEST&sec=worldupdates]
Today's earthquake in Sumatra [8.6 magnitude] is also one of the strongest earthquake in the history!