Tremors of PH quake strongly felt in central Indonesia

JAKARTA, Indonesia (Xinhua) — The jolts of a 7.1 magnitude quake that hit the Philippines on Thursday were strongly felt in Talaud district of North Sulawesi province in central parts of Indonesia, triggering panic among residents, according to the weather agency and a resident.

The tremors were felt at IV MMI (Modified Mercalli Intensity) in the district, Priyo Budi, an official in charge at the meteorology and geophysics agency, told Xinhua via phone.

The jolts were also felt at II to III MMI in Kepulauan Sangihe district and Bitung city of the province, the official said.

The agency did not issue a warning for a tsunami as the tremors did not potentially trigger giant waves, according to him.

In Talaud district, the tremors forced many residents to rush outside their houses, said Habel Salombe, a resident in the district.

“The shakes were felt strong here, many people were panic and immediately left their houses for safety,” Salombe, who is also a former head of disaster management agency in the district, told Xinhua via phone.

“But, I have not got any information about houses or buildings damaged, or those injured,” he said.

The quake struck at 00: 46 a.m. Jakarta time Thursday (1746 GMT Wednesday) with the epicenter at 267 km northeast Melonguane, capital city of Talaud district and the depth at 51 km under the sea bed, the official of the meteorology and geophysics agency said.