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Penang Gets Serious With Tremor-Caused Cracks In Buildings
bernama.com 31/3/2005

PENANG, March 31 (Bernama) -- The state government will set up a special committee to ascertain the degree of danger posed to buildings where cracks have appeared following tremors from an earthquake off Sumatra last Monday, Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon said Thursday.

The committee would be chaired by State Executive Councillor Datuk Koay Kar Huah, he added.

"Penang has 1,200 dwellings classified as high-rise, and the committee will establish a mechanism to probe the cracks as well as the degree of danger posed by them," he told reporters, here.

Koh said the committee would also include several experts, including building engineers and civil engineers from the private sector, to help determine the safety of occupants if a building suffers cracks following tremors caused by an earthquake.

Penang was one of several states that experienced strong tremors following an earthquake of 8.7-magnitude on the Richter scale off the north-western coast of Sumatra at 12.09 am last Monday.

Koh said the committee would establish guidelines to monitor any structural damage or signs of cracks if earthquake-caused tremors are experienced.

Nevertheless, he said, there had been no official reports of cracks on buildings except for cases reported in the media.

"We have yet to receive any report from the people, and the state government is prepared to undertake inspections if there are reports of cracks on buildings," he said.

Koh said the people could report directly to the Penang Municipal Council (MPPP) and the Seberang Perai Municipal Council (MPSP) if they detected cracks in the buildings they occupied following tremors caused by an earthquake.

He also said that the committee would also identify weaknesses in the communications system following a disruption in the telecommunications service during the time of the tremors last Monday.

"During the incident, I myself was unable to contact several officers and the relevant parties owing to a disruption in the telecommunications system. This matter must be looked into as a precaution in case of natural disasters," he said. Koh said he was satisfied with the swift action by everyone concerned to keep the situation under control and warn people in the coastal areas to evacuate following the tremors.

An earthquake off Sumatra on Dec 26 last year had triggered a tsunami that also hit Penang, and caught many coastal villagers off-guard.

-- BERNAMA
 

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