What M’sians Need To Know About The 6.2 Magnitude Earthquake That Occurred In Indonesia Last Night

By Lara Kramer  •  04 Apr 2023 in News

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Just as news about the deadly quakes in Turkiye began to simmer down, Malaysians received a shock warning at 10:59 p.m. last night regarding a 6.2 magnitude earthquake that struck North Sumatera, Indonesia.

Android users even received the warnings via their phone notifications, and many took to social media to discuss the matter. A handful also mentioned that they had even felt the tremors which, according to Met Malaysia, could be detected across Selangor, KL, Melaka, Putrajaya, Negeri Sembilan, Johor and Perak.

Residents of an apartment in Cheras also evacuated the building due to strong tremors.

Updated reports say that the quake took place in the South China Sea, and did not cause any tremors on the surface despite occurring at a depth of 611km. No aftershocks were triggered as well.

The 4.4 magnitude earthquake was detected by the MET Malaysia National Seismic Network at 3.32 am, located at 6.45 degrees North and 115.87 degrees East in the South China Sea. However, Met Malaysia chose not to release this information to the public.

MetMalaysia also stated that the earthquake occurred in an area with an “inactive thrust fault” and that sea earthquakes with a magnitude of less than five and a depth of over 300km do not have any surface impact.

Neighbouring countries, particularly Malaysia and Thailand, were warned to watch out for aftershocks and evacuate buildings shall signs of collapse arise. As of now, there is no foreseeable tsunami threat to Malaysia.

Two days ago, a 5.8-magnitude offshore earthquake occurred near Indonesia’s West Nusa Tenggara with subtle vibrations felt within the city and its surrounding areas, namely Makassar, Dompu, Labuan Bajo, Sumbawa Besar and Sumbawa Barat. At the time of writing, no reports of damage or casualties as a result of the earthquake have been recorded from either quake.

JUICE encourages Malaysians to take advanced safety measures such as securing furniture and other items to reduce risk of injury in case of a disaster. It’s also advisable to take the necessary steps to prevent and be ready to extinguish fires, as well as prepare emergency supplies.

Additionally, we suggest enabling earthquake alerts on your mobile phones if you haven’t already. Apple also offers a range of apps which provide worldwide data and alerts.