THE Meteorological Department has confirmed that a mysterious explosion followed by a tremor felt in several areas in Perak, particularly in Ipoh, was not caused by an earthquake.

Its director-general, Alui Bahari, said the sound of the blast and tremor had nothing to do with the earthquake-tsunami that recently hit Indonesia, killing thousands.

“The loud bang and tremor felt in Perak is not an earthquake as no earthquake warnings had been detected,” he said in Ipoh today.

Several residents in Perak, especially Ipoh, reported hearing a loud bang akin to an explosion followed by a tremor about 11am.

The incident went viral on social media, with people speculating that it was due to the process of breaking rocks at a quarry in Simpang Pulai.

Claims also surfaced attributing the loud bang to training exercises carried out by the Royal Malaysian Air Force using explosives. 

The air force, however, said it did not receive any information about any such exercise.

Ipoh district deputy police chief Superintendent Abdul Rani Alias said police would carry out an investigation on the incident. – Bernama, October 4, 2018.