Earthquake in Singapore.

Yesterday, as I sat before my computer, in the early evening, at home, something odd began to happen. My chair began to rock back and forth. Now, being quite a heavy man, I blamed, at once, the structural integrity of the chair and stood up, fearing that it was about to collapse beneath me.

I looked at the chair, as I stood, and it seemed OK. So I sat again, and again I felt it rock back and forth. It was then that I conceived the idea that, perhaps, the rocking was not due to my weight, but to the world itself: an earthquake was in progress.

To back up my belief, there was a knocking sound filling the building, which reminded me of the sound a waste chute in an earlier house had made during an earthquake: a rhythmic throbbing.

Today, I read in the newspapers that quite a big earthquake had struck Indonesia...7.6 on the Richter scale, which is really quite huge. This leads me to wonder: how safe is Singapore from earthquakes? Surely, if I could clearly feel this one, in Singapore, there must be a level of earthquake which would lead to damage in Singapore, even if it were centred on Indonesia? What if a much bigger earthquake struck nearby Indonesia...would buildings in Singapore then begin to fall?

I wonder this because Singaporeans are so used to being safe. Have the buildings here, been designed to withstand earthquakes? I did worry, yesterday, at all the shaking done to my home...could such shaking do any harm?

I ask these questions but I know we will not get any really solid answers. The authorities will always say: "It could not happen here"...until it does happen and then they will say: "We could not have known...".

It would be good to have information on what level of earthquake, at what distance from us, would cause harm in Singapore. Does anyone have that information? If so, please comment below.

My sympathies go out to those who may have been hurt, or killed, and their families, in Indonesia. At present, there is no substantial information about casualties. I wish people well, there.

The Taiwanese Earthquake and the Internet

Owing to the Taiwanese earthquake on Tuesday there are considerable limitations on internet connections out of Singapore. (98% of all communictions through the Taiwanese route have been lost). My connection is very slow, unreliable and sometimes unavailable. I would like to apologize in advance, therefore, if I am unable, in the estimated two to three weeks needed to repair the undersea cables, to post on any particular day. It is my intention to keep up with my usual posts - access today took ages and was unavailable sometimes...so I don't know what service will be like. Thanks, in advance, for your understanding.

My condolences to the families of those who lost their lives - or were otherwise seriously affected.