Hundreds of residents from high-rise buildings ran out of their homes following tremors after a 6.6-magnitude earthquake jolted the western Indonesian island of Sumatra.
Among the affected people here were those living in Weld Quay, Macallum Street, Tanjung Bungah, Tanjung Tokong, Gurney Drive, Lintang P. Ramlee, Sungai Nibong and Bandar Baru Air Itam.
Penang Fire and Rescue Department assistant director (operations) Mohd Razam Taja Rahim said the department received 16 reports about the tremors.
He said most of the reports came from residents staying at high-rise buildings and hotels along the Batu Ferringhi tourist belt.
Penang Island Voluntary Patrol Unit and Community Policing members also kept a close watch by calling each other on walkie-talkies after the tremors.
State Health, Welfare, Environment and Caring Society Committee chairman Phee Boon Poh urged the residents associations and joint management boards of high-rise residential buildings to prepare a contingency plan.
He said Penangites can check for any tsunami alert after a tremor at http://ptwc.weather.gov.
In PUTRAJAYA, Higher Education Department director-general Prof Datuk Dr Rujhan Mustafa said all Malaysian students in Indonesia were safe.
