Earthquake Kills More Than 80 In Sumatra
Wednesday, March 7, 2007
It's Real! My personal Experience!
March 6, 2007 - It was a sunny morning. What a great start for a day. I was having sleepless night trying my best to memorize and revise for my morning test around 11.00am. I would never expect this will be the end for 80 people in Sumatra.
I was in the midst of the test, 4th floor in faculty when suddenly I felt my body shaking. Am I shivering? I can feel myself vibrating. Or anyone shaking my chair? I started looking around. To the left, right and behind.. No one near to my chair, everyone is sitting very still, focusing seriously on their papers, making sure they answer every single question correctly.
Am I the only one who felt it? I started to get dizzy. Most probably I was too tired. It might be the consequence of waking up early 3am to revise. "Time is up!" lecturer shouted. We completed our test around 12pm. Everyone rushed out from class. We started discussing about the test. That little incident struck my mind again. "Do you guys feel the quake just now?" I asked. "Nope.." one of my friend answered. Then, out of nowhere, the other friend answered, "I felt it too. I thought it was just my imagination. I can see the OHP desk shaking." Everyone started to become very curious. "Gosh! An earthquake in UTM (our university)" one of my course mate shouted.
It must be happening somewhere. I headed to my car and out for lunch. As usual, I'll tune in to 938 live radio station. I was driving when the headline news started. "30minutes ago, an earthquake measuring 6.3 magnitude triggers in Sumatra. Buildings around Singapore such as in Clementi, Ngee Ann Polytechnic were affected by the quake too. People in the building were evacuated although no alarm was triggered"
"We are working in our office when suddenly we felt the quake. Our computers are shaking. One of my colleague cried due to the previous experience she had gone through. Everyone of us ran out of the office. "
I was stunned. So, this is really happening. This is true. Almost speechless for a few seconds. I started calling my family and friends informing them about the quake. I wonder how serious is it? Another disaster for Indonesians...
Well, as expected, it came out in the Headline News today. "Earthquake Kills More Than 80 In Sumatra". A 6.0 magnitude earthquake struck west Sumatra area yesterday, two hours after a 6.3 quake hit the same area which was felt in Singapore and Malaysia.
The Real Condition in Sumatra
Buildings flattened, scores buried in rubble, hundreds injured. Panic in Malaysia and Singapore...
Communication was cut off from much of the area close to the epicentre of the 6.3-magnitude quake, so there was no immediate way of knowing the extent of the damage there, they said.
The 6.3 magnitude quake struck at 10.49am, the US Geological Survey said, 49km northeast of Padang. An almost equally strong aftershock hit later. Tanah Dtar, Solok and Padang were among the worst-hit areas in Sumatra. Cars and bikes fill nearby roads as people rushed for higher ground, fearing a tsunami, not realising the quake was underground.
The quake also shook skyscrapers in nearby Singapore, sending people fleeing to the streets.
Why Indonesia again?
Indonesia was the nation worst hit by the earthquake-triggered Indian Ocean tsunami in December 2004, which killed some 168,000 people in Aceh province on the northern tip of Sumatra. Some 5,800 people were killed and 33,000 others injured in a massive quake that rocked Java island in May last year. Two months later, another quake on Java killed more than 600.
Why is this happening to Indonesia? This is because Indonesia is an archipelago nation of some 17,000 islands which sits on the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, where continental plates meet- and where earthquakes are regular and often deadly occurrence.
Quakes in Malaysia and Singapore
Several areas in Selangor, Malacca and Johor experienced tremors after the earthquake. It led to panicked workers and residents of high-rise apartments fleeing their offices and homes. The Meteorological Service Department said the 11.49am moderate earthquake, which happened 65km southwest of Padang and 372km southwest of Malacca, did not pose any tsunami threat.
"Many rushed down, some even with their luggage."
"I thought I was just feeling giddy. But when it occured again at 2pm, I knew something was wrong. My mother also felt the tremor"
"I suspected it was an earthquake after my table started shaking and a vase on top of it moved"
"It did not last long... only six seconds"
Johor Baru: Among affected buildings were Johor Bahru City Square, Plaza Pelangi, Landmark Mall, Wisma Tabung Haji, Wisma Persekutuan and Public Bank Tower.
Singapore: Tall buildings in Singapore's business district swayed slightly, occupants said, and the tremor was also felt in other parts of the island.
I 
I 
I 
I was in the midst of the test, 4th floor in faculty when suddenly I felt my body shaking. Am I shivering? I can feel myself vibrating. Or anyone shaking my chair? I started looking around. To the left, right and behind.. No one near to my chair, everyone is sitting very still, focusing seriously on their papers, making sure they answer every single question correctly.
Am I the only one who felt it? I started to get dizzy. Most probably I was too tired. It might be the consequence of waking up early 3am to revise. "Time is up!" lecturer shouted. We completed our test around 12pm. Everyone rushed out from class. We started discussing about the test. That little incident struck my mind again. "Do you guys feel the quake just now?" I asked. "Nope.." one of my friend answered. Then, out of nowhere, the other friend answered, "I felt it too. I thought it was just my imagination. I can see the OHP desk shaking." Everyone started to become very curious. "Gosh! An earthquake in UTM (our university)" one of my course mate shouted.
It must be happening somewhere. I headed to my car and out for lunch. As usual, I'll tune in to 938 live radio station. I was driving when the headline news started. "30minutes ago, an earthquake measuring 6.3 magnitude triggers in Sumatra. Buildings around Singapore such as in Clementi, Ngee Ann Polytechnic were affected by the quake too. People in the building were evacuated although no alarm was triggered"
"We are working in our office when suddenly we felt the quake. Our computers are shaking. One of my colleague cried due to the previous experience she had gone through. Everyone of us ran out of the office. "
I was stunned. So, this is really happening. This is true. Almost speechless for a few seconds. I started calling my family and friends informing them about the quake. I wonder how serious is it? Another disaster for Indonesians...
Well, as expected, it came out in the Headline News today. "Earthquake Kills More Than 80 In Sumatra". A 6.0 magnitude earthquake struck west Sumatra area yesterday, two hours after a 6.3 quake hit the same area which was felt in Singapore and Malaysia.
The Real Condition in Sumatra
Buildings flattened, scores buried in rubble, hundreds injured. Panic in Malaysia and Singapore...Communication was cut off from much of the area close to the epicentre of the 6.3-magnitude quake, so there was no immediate way of knowing the extent of the damage there, they said.
The 6.3 magnitude quake struck at 10.49am, the US Geological Survey said, 49km northeast of Padang. An almost equally strong aftershock hit later. Tanah Dtar, Solok and Padang were among the worst-hit areas in Sumatra. Cars and bikes fill nearby roads as people rushed for higher ground, fearing a tsunami, not realising the quake was underground.
The quake also shook skyscrapers in nearby Singapore, sending people fleeing to the streets.
Why Indonesia again?
Indonesia was the nation worst hit by the earthquake-triggered Indian Ocean tsunami in December 2004, which killed some 168,000 people in Aceh province on the northern tip of Sumatra. Some 5,800 people were killed and 33,000 others injured in a massive quake that rocked Java island in May last year. Two months later, another quake on Java killed more than 600.
Why is this happening to Indonesia? This is because Indonesia is an archipelago nation of some 17,000 islands which sits on the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, where continental plates meet- and where earthquakes are regular and often deadly occurrence.
Quakes in Malaysia and Singapore
Several areas in Selangor, Malacca and Johor experienced tremors after the earthquake. It led to panicked workers and residents of high-rise apartments fleeing their offices and homes. The Meteorological Service Department said the 11.49am moderate earthquake, which happened 65km southwest of Padang and 372km southwest of Malacca, did not pose any tsunami threat.
"Many rushed down, some even with their luggage."
"I thought I was just feeling giddy. But when it occured again at 2pm, I knew something was wrong. My mother also felt the tremor"
"I suspected it was an earthquake after my table started shaking and a vase on top of it moved"
"It did not last long... only six seconds"
Johor Baru: Among affected buildings were Johor Bahru City Square, Plaza Pelangi, Landmark Mall, Wisma Tabung Haji, Wisma Persekutuan and Public Bank Tower.
Singapore: Tall buildings in Singapore's business district swayed slightly, occupants said, and the tremor was also felt in other parts of the island.
I I I Labels: disaster, headline, news, question, why
posted by Jason @ 10:54 AM,
,
Disaster Strikes JB and Singapore this Dec? Why?
Tuesday, December 19, 2006
There is a perception for Malaysia and Singapore:
"It is a place where the sun shines through the rain. Showers are usually sudden and heavy, but also brief and refreshing"
Well, frankly, after long day under hot sun, we always hope for rain. When it rains, we cheer with joy. Until today, things changed. Ok, I'm exaggerating here! But the below news is 100% true.
Disaster Strikes on 17th Dec 2006?
Floods, traffic jams, falling trees, collapsed old shophouse, stranded cars! This is the situation right now in Johor Bahru (southern part of Malaysia) and Singapore. Shopping for christmas gift? Probably the worst suggestion. It seems impossible to travel around now. Numerous cars stalled in the flood waters and tow trucks struggled to reach them to assist. The usually packed lunch time crowd had thinned to barely a dozen patrons. Water level rose in canals. Roads became fast flowing rivers! Closed roads, terrible traffic. Why? It's the heavy rain.
Rain, rain, keeps raining and still raining right now. Rain stops and come again. I'm now in my faculty sitting near to the corridor. The rain keeps pouring like it will never end forever. It has been raining for 3 days starting Sunday continously. It has never happened for years!
News Headlines on 1th Dec 2006
SINGAPORE: Heavy rain has caused chaos across many places in Singapore. A part of Singapore was swamped by more than the average monthly rainfall for the whole island in less than a day. 313 millilitres drenched a northern part of the country in 16 hours. The floods were the worst we have ever seen.
And it wasn't just trees which felt the impact – over in southern part of the island, part of an empty old shophouse collapsed with debris spilling onto the street.
One of the shop owner said what shocked them the most was the speed of the flood. "But one thing I'm curious is I don't know why it happened so fast, because around 8am, we were here, it's still ok, until say about 8.30am the thing suddenly come out within half an hour it can flood until this condition it's unbelievable, now I'm afraid this thing happened, what about next round, don't know when will happen again."
JOHOR BARU: Continuous heavy rain since Monday evening caused floods in several districts in Johor. About 4,000 people were evacuated and massive traffic jams were reported here during rush hour. The floods also disrupted train services in the southern region.
Thousands of people in Malaysia's southern Johore state were evacuated Tuesday after heavy rain caused floods and triggered minor landslides which disrupted rail services, state media said. Over 2,000 people in districts around three Johor towns and its capital, Johor Bahru, had been told by police from early Tuesday to leave their homes.
Massive traffic jams were reported by Bernama in and around Johor Baru, while the national rail company said south-bound services, including connections to neighbouring Singapore, were disrupted.
Forecast
Singapore National Environment Agency says it is not uncommon to experience heavy monsoon rain from November until January.
According to the weather forecast, we'll still be expecting the rain and wind here (Malaysia) and Singapore to last for the next few days.
Rain, rain, keeps raining and still raining right now. Rain stops and come again. I'm now in my faculty sitting near to the corridor. The rain keeps pouring like it will never end forever. It has been raining for 3 days starting Sunday continously. It has never happened for years!
News Headlines on 1th Dec 2006
SINGAPORE: Heavy rain has caused chaos across many places in Singapore. A part of Singapore was swamped by more than the average monthly rainfall for the whole island in less than a day. 313 millilitres drenched a northern part of the country in 16 hours. The floods were the worst we have ever seen.And it wasn't just trees which felt the impact – over in southern part of the island, part of an empty old shophouse collapsed with debris spilling onto the street.
One of the shop owner said what shocked them the most was the speed of the flood. "But one thing I'm curious is I don't know why it happened so fast, because around 8am, we were here, it's still ok, until say about 8.30am the thing suddenly come out within half an hour it can flood until this condition it's unbelievable, now I'm afraid this thing happened, what about next round, don't know when will happen again."
JOHOR BARU: Continuous heavy rain since Monday evening caused floods in several districts in Johor. About 4,000 people were evacuated and massive traffic jams were reported here during rush hour. The floods also disrupted train services in the southern region.
Thousands of people in Malaysia's southern Johore state were evacuated Tuesday after heavy rain caused floods and triggered minor landslides which disrupted rail services, state media said. Over 2,000 people in districts around three Johor towns and its capital, Johor Bahru, had been told by police from early Tuesday to leave their homes.
Massive traffic jams were reported by Bernama in and around Johor Baru, while the national rail company said south-bound services, including connections to neighbouring Singapore, were disrupted.
Forecast
Singapore National Environment Agency says it is not uncommon to experience heavy monsoon rain from November until January.
According to the weather forecast, we'll still be expecting the rain and wind here (Malaysia) and Singapore to last for the next few days.
Links:
Weather forecast - Singapore and Malaysia
Satellite VIDEO of The Changing Weather
Why this heavy downpour?
The weatherman says it is the Northeast Monsoon which affect intermittent moderate to heavy rain and windy conditions in both places. The Northeast Monsoon brings heavy rainfall. In Malaysia, the Northeast Monsoon comes on November and ends around March. According to the forecast, this monsoon is predicted to last till February. Thus, we'll be expecting wet weather during this period. What is Monsoon? Click here
Great, now it is drizzling. Hope this will last. No more rain please.
(11.59pm: 3 hours later after this post - it is pouring heavily AGAIN! Gosh..)
I I I Labels: concept, curious, facts, news, question, rain, why
posted by Jason @ 8:19 PM,
,
WHY don’t venomous snakes die from their own venom?
Thursday, December 14, 2006
All venomous animals have some kind of protection of their own venom, some have protection against other species venom but not against all of them. It is like a protein cage that built around the venom that protects the rest of the cells from it. That is just the way they are born that way. That thing prevents the venom from attacking its own body.Venom is like a soup of a bunch of different proteins and all have different effects. The main effect from a cobra venom is a neurotoxin (poison which acts to the nervous system) effect which paralyze you and your neural system. As for rattlesnake venom, it has hemotoxin (which attacks your blood and tissues), so you start to swell up, you probably feel instantly pain, and you start losing the ability to coagulate your blood. The enzymes in venom will start digesting your muscle tissues.
I I I Labels: die, facts, living world, poison, question, science, snake, venom, venomous, why
posted by Jason @ 2:01 PM,
,
WHY RED EYE in photos?
Have you wonder why there is Red Eye in photos taken at night?
This is a knowledge I've learned and would like to share to you.
Bright light comes into the eye, the eye tends to change its sizes of the opening, get shrink and become smaller. Light go to the back of the eye and then bounces back forward. So what happen is when there is a camera flash, when it is too fast or too bright, the people doesn’t have time to shrink the eyes, the light bounce to the back of the eye which is red. Its redness is because of the blood vessel. So, when you actually looking into the red eyes in the camera, you’re actually looking at the back of someone’s eye. Thus, you might notice that there are some digital cameras, which tend to reduce the red eye, they will have an initial flash to make the eye opening gets smaller and then another one, and then you won’t get as much the redness back.
Is this post helpful? Feel free to comments. I I I Labels: facts, interesting, living world, night, question, red eye, science, why
posted by Jason @ 1:57 PM,
,
