JAKARTA: Several Malaysian journalists currently here on a media trip had a bit of a panic attack as tremors were felt here following a strong quake that hit Indonesia’s Banten province in Java, 120 kilometres away.
The journalists were at a media briefing given by Indonesia’s Ambassador to Malaysia, Rusdi Kirana Banten at the 8th floor of Menara Lion here, when the magnitude 7.4 earthquake rocked Banten at 7.03 pm (local time) yesterday.
According to Bernama’s managing editor Haji Nasir Yusoff who was among the visiting journalists, the building started to sway and this went on for a minute, bringing a bit of panic to the journalists present and the ambassador.
All of them then took the staircase all the way down from the 8th floor to exit the building.
Nothing untoward happened, said Haji Nasir.
Meanwhile, the Indonesian Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency said the epicentre was 147km southwest of Sumur-Banten.
It was registered at a depth 52.8 km, some 150 km from Labuan, southwest of Jakarta. A tsunami warning that was issued for the southern part of Pandeglang, Lampung and Sukabumi was lifted late last night.
The Malaysian Meteorological Department said there was no tsunami threat to Malaysia. — Bernama