BUTTERWORTH, Jan 7 — Tremors were felt by employees and students of a private dental college in NB Tower at Jalan Bagan Luar here after a magnitude 6.3 earthquake hit northern Sumatra in Indonesia at 2.05pm today.

Members of the public including patients seeking treatment at the private clinic located at the 21-storey building rushed out of the building after the tremors were felt for 15 seconds.

Siti Mariah Leman, 35, said she was working when one of her colleagues pointed out that she could feel the tremors and things on the table were moving.

“I felt the movement but thought it was nothing, but we quickly rushed down after the security team instructed employees, students, and the public to evacuate the building and assemble at the ground floor.

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“We only knew there was a strong earthquake after the building management informed that the tremors felt at the NB Tower was due to the quake,” she told Bernama when met here today.

A private college student, who only wanted to be known as Munirah, 19, said the students were in the midst of an examination when she felt the movement and experienced a bout of dizziness.

“At first, I thought the fainting spell was because of lack of sleep but after the others said they felt the tremors we left the classroom and went down to the building compound,” she said adding the examination has been postponed.

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Meanwhile, Penang Fire and Rescue Department director Saadon Mokhtar when contacted today said, the department was alerted of the tremors at the NB Tower at 2.36pm and immediately rushed to the scene.

He said checks were conducted on the building, but no casualties were reported.

The Malaysian Meteorological Department in a statement said the epicentre of the quake was 67km northeast of Simeulue island, Indonesia and occurred at a depth 37km.

The statement said tremors could be felt around Penang island but there was no tsunami threat to Malaysia. — Bernama