GEORGE TOWN: A powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake that struck Myanmar sent shockwaves as far as Penang, causing tremors that rattled high-rise buildings and left many startled.
Office workers in skyscrapers described feeling sudden dizziness, with some even witnessing objects wobbling around them.
Buletin Mutiara writer M. Thanushalini, 38, was focusing on work on the 47th floor when she suddenly sensed her surroundings swaying.
"I was in the middle of typing an article when I unexpectedly experienced vertigo. At first, I thought I was feeling dizzy as it only lasted a few seconds, so I continued working.
"It was only later, after learning about the earthquake, that I connected the dots. In my eight years here, this is the first time I’ve felt tremors from an earthquake," she said on Friday (March 28).
Penang Economic Planning Unit assistant secretary Zeulqarnain Wahid, 33, also felt the unsettling tremors from his 26th-floor office.
"The Hari Raya decorative lights in our office began to sway, and I felt lightheaded. Several colleagues also mentioned feeling the same, and we realised it was unusual.
"Fortunately, there was no need for evacuation," he said.
Those working in Komtar, Penang's tallest building, also reported feeling the tremors shortly after the earthquake struck at 2.21pm.
According to the Malaysian Meteorological Department, the earthquake occurred approximately 55km southwest of Mandalay, Myanmar, at a depth of 57km.
No tsunami threats were detected in Malaysia following the quake.
