Life in Segamat goes on as normal after series of quakes
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The earthquake first struck Segamat at 6.13am on Aug 24.
PHOTOS: JIMMY PUAH/FACEBOOK
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SEGAMAT, Johor – Despite multiple earthquakes taking place in the same week, it is business as usual for the folks in Malaysia’s Segamat town.
Food seller Ahmad Asri Talib, 52, said there was no damage to his eatery near the public square, Dataran Segamat, which continued to attract customers.
“While managing my business, I also keep up to date with the latest developments regarding the earthquake situation,” he told news outlet Bernama.
Mr Fahrin Salihin, 38, of Taman Tasik Sejati in the Buloh Kasap area, was interviewed after he took part in a rehearsal for the district-level national day parade. He said he felt two aftershocks – at around 8pm on Aug 28 and 4.25am on Aug 29. He said that when the tremor occurred on Aug 29, he had just completed his prayers.
“I stepped out of my house to observe what was going on,” he said, adding that the incidents would not dampen his enthusiasm for participating in the national day celebrations. Malaysia celebrates its national day on Aug 31.
Checks around Segamat found that shops and businesses were open as usual, with people out shopping and schools operating normally. Traffic on the main roads was also smooth.
No panic buying was observed at supermarkets or sundry shops, with supplies of food and daily necessities reported to be stable.
A check of the Segamat district office Facebook page showed a poster about the district-level 68th national day celebrations at Dataran Segamat, with no notice of cancellation.
No property damage or casualties have been reported as a result of the tremors, with agencies and security personnel continuing to monitor the situation to ensure public safety.
On Aug 28, officials from the Engineering Seismology and Earthquake Engineering Research group of Universiti Teknologi Malaysia and the Malaysian Meteorological Department visited the epicentre of the earthquake in Segamat.
The visit, which also involved rescue agencies and the local authorities, was made to assess the initial impact of the quake and preparedness levels in the affected areas.
A tremor on Aug 30, which took place about 2km north-west of Segamat at a depth of 10km, was the sixth recorded in Johor this week. Segamat and Yong Peng town each felt a minor quake on Aug 24, while Segamat was struck by three more on Aug 27, 28 and 29.
The tremors measured between 2.5 magnitude and 4.1 in magnitude. THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
