Indonesia earthquake shook Vietnam buildings

Nearly 4pm on April 11, many people working in high-rise buildings in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi felt the shaking on the table, the wall board. The Institute of Geophysics confirms that vibration is caused by earthquake propagation waves from Indonesia.

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"I see everything wobbly before my eyes for about 3 minutes in the office," said Thu Huyen, working at a building in District 1, HCMC. Some people at the building on Dien Bien Phu Street, District 10 also felt shaking, the hanging board shook.

Bitexco building in District 1 has a similar situation, many people in this building feel unsteady, chest tight. Many office workers rushed down the road.

In Hanoi, Mr. Kien, an office worker at Vietcombank Street, Tran Quang Khai, recounted: "Everything happened very quickly, we just felt lost and dizzy when looking outside the window".

Mr. Kien said, some people ran down the yard to avoid the accident. The building management board immediately contacted the Geophysical Institute for information. After knowing that it was only slightly vibration, people returned to work normally.

After the first vibration, at 17h, residents at some buildings in Ho Chi Minh City continued to feel the shaking.

Many people run down the street at the building in District 4, HCMC. (Photo: Vi Khoa)

Mr. Le Huy Minh, Director of the Vietnam Tsunami Earthquake Information Center, said that Vietnam was affected by the 8.7-magnitude earthquake that just happened in Indonesia. However, Vietnam is located far from the earthquake area so only people in high-rise areas have a feeling of shaking."Earthquake wave spread in Indonesia has made buildings in Vietnam vibrate," Minh said.

Professor Cao Dinh Trieu, expert of the Institute of Geophysics also affirmed that the earthquakes in Indonesia and Vietnam are very difficult to be affected much. The southern area feels the most vibration, but not large. On the afternoon of April 11, the seismic measuring station in the south recorded minor vibrations, below level 5. There is no tsunami warning in Vietnam yet.

Professor Trieu explained that after the earthquake spread at 16h, earthquake aftershocks will appear. People in Vietnam can feel vibrations, but with decreasing frequency.

The Institute of Geophysics also recorded an earthquake in Indonesia that occurred near the 2004 Sumatra earthquake.