Jakarta Residents Calm Despite Tremors From 6.1 Quake In West Java

By Mohd Shukri Ishak JAKARTA, Jan 24 ( Bernama) – Despite feeling the tremors of an earthquake measuring 6.1 on the Richter scale in the Sukabumi Regency, West Java at 1.34pm, residents in high-rise buildings here calmly evacuated from their premises. Without any signs of panic or haste, workers orderly walked down and gathered at their respective assembly points. Dian, 38, an employee of the Antara news agency’s marketing division on the 16th floor of Wisma Antara, said during the tremors she hid under the table. "When the tremors continued, I decided to get out of the building by taking the stairs with other employees,” she said. Jakarta city residents were seen gathering in the streets outside their buildings while drivers also stopped their vehicles during incident. There were, however, no untoward incidents in Indonesian capital. According to online media, hundreds of houses were reported damaged in several areas in Banten, Depok, Cianjur and Bogor and so far there were no loss of lives reported. A mosque and a community health centre were also reported badly damaged in Banten. According to the Indonesia’s Meteorological, Climatological and Geophysical Agency (BMKG), the 6.1 magnitude earthquake was followed by 20 moderate-scale aftershocks. Meanwhile the Malaysian Embassy in Jakarta is also monitoring the incident closely. "So far, no Malaysians have been reported injured in the incident,” an embassy spokesman said. -- BERNAMA