Tremor rattles Ipoh folk, cause still unknown

Friday, June 08, 2012

POLITEKNIK Ungku Omar staff were shaken when they felt a tremor and what sounded like an explosion yesterday.

Its deputy director, Muhamad Zubir Mohd Hanifah, said he was in a meeting with a few other staff when he felt the tremor.

He said the tremor, which lasted for about a minute, rattled the doors and windows in the room.

“We were stunned and speechless for while. After the situation returned to normal, we thought our staff who were shifting things in the building had dropped something heavy,” he said.

Mohamad Zubir said minutes later, Fire and Rescue Department personnel arrived after a staff contacted them.

“Firemen conducted checks on the buildings where they found nothing amiss and left after 15 minutes,” he said.

Mohamad Zubir said students were on their semester break since the end of last month and there were only about 400 people at the institute yesterday.

It is learned that the tremor was also felt in Gunung Rapat and other places in the Kinta Valley.

A spokesman for the Ipoh fire station said they were unable to confirm the cause of the tremor.

The Meteorological Department ruled out the possibility of an earthquake.

A spokesman said its Ipoh station recorded an unusual wave between 11.10am and 11.20am.

“The characteristic of the wave was abnormal and confined to Ipoh, pointing to a local cause due to an activity in the area,” he told The Malay Mail.

At press time the authorities were still unable to confirm the cause of the tremor.

http://www.mmail.com.my/story/tremor-rattles-ipoh-folk-cause-still-unknown

08 June 2012

Unusual tremor rocks Ipoh

IPOH: A tremor shook several areas in the city yesterday causing panic and confusion among the people.

The tremor started at 11.15am and lasted several minutes.

It could be felt in several parts of the city and its surrounding areas, including Tambun, Gunung Rapat and Pasir Pinji.

Politeknik Ungku Omar deputy director of academic support Mohd Zubir Mohd Hanifah said he was at a meeting when the tremor struck.

"We could feel the vibration for between two and three minutes.

"However, there was no report of damage to property. This is the first time I have felt such an unusual tremor," he said at the polytechnic yesterday.

Zubir said the Fire and Rescue Department, which was informed about the incident, turned up at the polytechnic to investigate, but did not find any problems.

A spokesman for the department confirmed receiving a call from the polytechnic and immediately sent its personnel to conduct checks.

According to an employee of the National Security Council here, the tremor might have been caused by quarry activities. The Meteorological Department spokesman said it did not receive any report of the tremor.

It was also speculated that the tremor could have been caused by an explosion from an army exercise.

Perak police chief Datuk Mohd Shukri Dahlan said police had yet to ascertain the cause of the tremor.

"Until now, we have not received any report from anyone with regard to any explosion which may have caused the tremor."

http://www.nst.com.my/nation/general/unusual-tremor-rocks-ipoh-1.92250

Gempa cetus tanda tanya

Gempa cetus tanda tanya

2012/06/09

Punca gegaran belum dikenal pasti, Stesen Meteorologi tak terima laporan

IPOH: Gegaran yang berlaku selama beberapa minit yang menimbulkan panik kepada penduduk sekitar bandar raya ini dan Gunung Rapat pagi kelmarin terus menjadi tanda tanya kerana sehingga kini punca kejadian sebenar masih belum dikenal pasti.

Ketua Polis Daerah Ipoh, Asisten Komisioner Azisman Alias, berkata pihaknya menerima banyak aduan daripada orang ramai mengenai kejadian itu dan masih belum dapat mengenal pasti puncanya.

Beliau berkata, siasatan masih dilakukan termasuk dakwaan beberapa penduduk sekitar Jalan Kampar kemungkinan berpunca daripada penggunaan bahan letupan oleh sebuah syarikat ketika melakukan kerja pembinaan sebuah bangunan di situ.

“Polis masih menyiasat dakwaan penduduk di Jalan Kampar terbabit yang mendakwa rumah mereka turut mengalami kesan keretakan dan gegaran akibat kesan letupan itu.

“Setakat ini, tiada pihak yang tampil mengesahkan punca gegaran itu dan kuari paling hampir ialah di Simpang Pulai tetapi siasatan mendapati tiada aktiviti menggunakan bahan letupan dilakukan pada masa kejadian.

“Polis menerima beberapa laporan termasuk aduan penduduk menerusi telefon mengenai gegaran itu dan saya sudah mengarahkan pegawai dan anggota menyiasat lebih lanjut puncanya,” katanya, di sini, semalam.

Kelmarin, beberapa penduduk di sekitar bandar raya ini dan kawasan Gunung Rapat termasuk di Politeknik Ungku Omar (PUO) panik apabila merasa gegaran luar biasa sehingga mengakibatkan premis masing-masing seakan bergoyang beberapa minit pagi kelmarin.

Dalam kejadian bermula jam 11.15 pagi itu, penduduk termasuk kakitangan dan pelajar PUO merasai gegaran sehingga menyebabkan tingkap pejabat serta perabot dalam premis pejabat bergetar hampir lima minit.

Timbalan Pengarah Sokongan Akademik PUO, Muhammad Zubir Mohd Hanifah, ketika ditemui pemberita kelmarin memberitahu beliau sedang menghadiri mesyuarat bersama sembilan kakitangannya apabila secara tiba-tiba terasa bangunan seperti bergegar menyebabkan tingkap dan meja turut bergetar.

Stesen Meteorologi Ipoh yang dihubungi memaklumkan tidak menerima sebarang laporan membabitkan gempa bumi manakala jurucakap Majlis Keselamatan Negara (MKN) Perak pula berkata, pihaknya ada menerima aduan daripada orang ramai mengenai kejadian itu tetapi tidak dapat mengenal pasti punca kejadian.

http://www.bharian.com.my/bharian/articles/Gempacetustandatanya/Article

Gegaran misteri di PUO

8 Jun 2012

IPOH – Lebih 400 kakitangan Politeknik Ungku Omar (PUO) gempar apabila merasai gegaran hampir tiga minit, pagi semalam.

Timbalan Pengarah Sokongan Akademik PUO, Muhammad Zubir Mohd Hanifah berkata, sewaktu kejadian beliau sedang menghadiri mesyuarat bersama sembilan kakitangannya yang lain sebelum dikejutkan gegaran itu.

Menurutnya, gegaran itu menyebabkan pintu dan tingkap di sekeliling bilik mesyuarat bergetar sehingga menyebabkan mereka tergamam kerana terkejut dengan insiden tersebut.

“Dalam kejadian jam 11.15 pagi itu, kebanyakan warga kerja politeknik sibuk menjalankan tugas harian dan saya serta sembilan kakitangan lain sedang bermesyuarat.

“Tiba-tiba pintu dan tingkap bergetar selama beberapa minit menyebabkan ada dalam kalangan kakitangan yang panik menelefon talian kecemasan bomba untuk mendapatkan bantuan,” katanya ketika ditemui, semalam.

Muhammad Zubir berkata, Jabatan Bomba dan Penyelamat Ipoh tiba di politeknik selepas mendapat panggilan dan membuat pemeriksaan di sekitar kawasan selama 15 minit.

“Bagaimanapun, menurut pegawai bomba yang bertugas mereka tidak menemui sebarang insiden yang menjurus kepada gegaran itu,” katanya.

Sementara itu, jurucakap bomba mengesahkan ada menerima panggilan tersebut dan sudah menjalankan pemeriksaan di PUO dan siasatan mendapati tiada apa-apa yang berlaku di kawasan tersebut.

Selain itu, jurucakap Jabatan Meterologi Perak berkata, pihaknya tiada menerima sebarang laporan berhubung kejadian gempa bumi yang mengaitkan dengan gegaran berkenaan.

Dalam pada itu, jurucakap Majlis Keselamatan Negara (MKN) Perak berkata, mereka ada menerima aduan orang awam berhubung kejadian terbabit.

“Siasatan awal mendapati, gegaran itu berkemungkinan berpunca daripada letupan kuari atau latihan tentera yang sedang dijalankan di kawasan berhampiran.

“Bagaimanapun, siasatan lanjut masih diteruskan bagi mengenalpasti punca gegaran tersebut,” katanya.

http://www.sinarharian.com.my/edisi/perak/gegaran-misteri-di-puo-1.54750