Officials call for post-tremor calm

PHUKET: The Phuket Office for Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (ODPM) has asked people in beach areas to remain calm after tremors were felt in Patong and Kamala this afternoon.

The call for calm followed reports of an earthquake in Indonesia, at 3:02 pm, measuring 6.1 on the Richter scale

ODPM officer Damri Sungsap told the Gazette, “The earthquake was centered at the north end of Sumatra, Indonesia, near the epicenter of the earthquake that caused the 2004 tsunami disaster. We checked with our head office and it is expected that the earthquake will not affect Thailand.

“We received three calls from Patong and one from Kamala reporting that aftershocks were felt at those locations, but no damage was reported.”

Pol Sgt Phuwadej Bunjirapon, a Phuket Tourist Police officer stationed on the Patong beachfront, said, “I was still in the main office when I felt the tremors. So I went straight to the beach to see what was happening.

“Everyone I asked said they had felt the tremors. I asked one tourist whether the tsunami warning tower had sounded the alarm, but he said he had not heard the tower make any sound.

“I also saw many tourists still swimming in the sea and walking on the streets as usual. Now everything is normal, but we will keep checking for the latest reports,” he said.