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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