The magnitude 5.1 earthquake struck at 11:18am in Indonesia’s Aceh region, on Sumatra, about 430km from Phuket. The tremors were felt mainly by occupants of high-rise buildings, but no damage has been reported and authorities confirmed there is no tsunami threat.
Phuket Governor Chotinrin Kerdsum said the situation had been assessed and there was no risk of a tsunami.
“If a tsunami were to occur, we would receive a warning from the National Disaster Warning Center. At present, assessments indicate there is no tsunami, and none of the warning towers have been activated,” he said.
Warat Surawadee, Chief of the Phuket Provincial Office of the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM Phuket), said the earthquake’s epicentre was on land, significantly reducing its impact on Phuket.
“An earthquake of magnitude 5.1, if it had its epicentre in the sea, could have affected houses. However, this time the epicentre was about 400km from Phuket and occurred on the Indonesian island, so the tremors may have only been felt slightly,” he told The Phuket News.
Mr Warat said reports indicated that some people, particularly those in taller buildings, said they felt the shaking, but inspections found no damage.
“After receiving the reports, the Provincial Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Office surveyed various areas and found that some people felt the tremors, especially those in tall buildings, but there are no reports of damage,” he said.
He added that provincial authorities and the central Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation were continuing to monitor seismic activity in the region, particularly earthquakes beneath the sea around Indonesia.
“Currently, there is no need for the public to panic, as it was only a tremor that some people felt, especially in buildings about four to five storeys high. Buildings constructed under newer regulations are designed with more flexible structures that can better withstand tremors,” he said.
Mr Warat also confirmed that no Cell Broadcast emergency alert was issued because the earthquake did not meet the criteria for a public warning.
He explained that earthquakes occurring far from Thailand generally need to reach magnitude 7 or 8 before a Cell Broadcast alert would be considered if there was potential for impacts in the country.
Residents were advised to monitor updates through the Thai Meteorological Department and the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation.
The USGS Earthquake Hazards Program, which records earthquakes around the world, marks Sumatra region as a hotbed of seismic activity. Devastating earthquakes have previously wreaked havoc on the Indonesian island, but most smaller earthquakes historically have had no impact on Phuket.