Peninsular Malaysia At Low Risk Of Aceh Earthquake Effects

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 8 (Bernama) -- The northern part of Peninsular Malaysia is at low risk of the effects of the 6.4-Richter scale earthquake that hit Aceh province in North Sumatra, Indonesia on Wednesday. Malaysian Meteorological Department director-general, Che Gayah Ismail said so far, the earthquake had no big impact on Malaysia other than the weak tremors felt in the northern states of the peninsula. She said the earthquake risk study carried out by the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation with a local university in 2009 also showed that Peninsular Malaysia was at low risk of earthquakes. "Hence, the public should not be unduly worried about Wednesday's earthquake (in Aceh)," she told Bernama, on Thursday. She said an earthquake like this was quite normal in Indonesia, especially in West Sumatra because of its location within the Pacific Ring of Fire. "Sumatra has often experienced earthquakes, from those of weak magnitudes to strong ones of up to 9.0 on the Richter scale which occurred in 2004," she said. At least 100 people have reportedly died in the earthquake which hit Pidiejaya district, Aceh, early Wednesday morning. The death toll is expected to rise after the search-and-rescue operations have been completed. --BERNAMA