JAKARTA: All the 75 Malaysian medical students in Padang are safe following an earthquake measuring 6.1 on the Richter scale in the capital of West Sumatra yesterday, according to the Malaysian Students Department in Indonesia.Department director Datuk Dr Junaidi Abu Bakar said 70 other students of the Universitas Andalas there were on vacation in Malaysia.

The students in Padang were at home when the quake struck, at 8.11am local time (9.11am in Malaysia), and they rushed out of their houses once they felt the tremors, he said when contacted by Bernama.

He also said that all the students attended classes and practicals as usual yesterday as the quake did not result in any damage to property.

The National Meteorological, Geophysics and Climatology Office reported that the quake’s epicentre was located 56km southeast of Siberut Island, Mentawai, at a depth of 10km below sea level.

An aftershock of 5.3 on the Richter scale was registered at 8.47am local time 46km southeast of Siberut Island, Mentawai, at a depth of 25km below sea level, it said.

The office said both the quakes did not trigger any tsunami.

Yesterday’s earthquakes occurred almost three months after a 7.9-intensity earthquake devastated Padang, killing  1,117 people  in Padang.

Then, Malaysia used military helicopters to evacuate more than 300 Malaysian medical  students studying there.

Local media reported that yesterday’s quakes sent the people of Padang rushing out of their houses in panic.

Up to this afternoon, there were no reports of damage to property. — Bernama