KUALA LUMPUR – A strong 7.1 magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Malaysia’s Sabah state, Borneo, in the early hours of February 23, according to US seismologists.
The epicenter of the quake was located at a depth of 619.8 km, less than 100 km northeast of the coastal state’s capital Kota Kinabalu, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS).
The earthquake occurred because 12:57am.
The USGS assessed the possibility of casualties or damage as low, and the U.S. Tsunami Warning Center did not issue a warning, saying no tsunami activity was expected due to the depth of the earthquake.
Malaysia Meteorological Department The researchers estimated the earthquake’s magnitude to be 6.8, adding that the shaking was felt on the west coast of Sabah and some areas of Sarawak and Peninsular Malaysia.
It added that it was the largest earthquake to hit the country in 11 years.
Malaysia’s strongest earthquake to date occurred in Ranau, Sabah on June 5, 2015. The magnitude 6.0 earthquake claimed the lives of 18 people, including Singaporeans.
Malaysian news agency Bernama reported that the Sabah Fire and Rescue Department Operations Center informed them that no accidents were reported after the earthquake.
“All stations are patrolling and monitoring the area to ensure public safety and bring the situation under control,” the ministry said.
Many people shared their experiences on social media.
“I was so shocked that I woke up from my sleep,” Brauer Kong said on Facebook, adding that he lives in Miri town in Sarawak state, about 420 kilometers from Kota Kinabalu.
A Kota Kinabalu resident who goes by the handle Handz Apeq Keychie said at first he thought he was unconscious, but then realized it was tremors.
“My apartment was on the lower floor, so I felt the building shake,” he said on Facebook.
Some netizens in Singapore said they felt the tremor in multiple locations, including Toa Payoh, Balestier and Punggol.
User dcburn, who lives in the east coast region, said on Reddit that it was “one of the strongest tremors” he had ever felt in Singapore.
Facebook user Soniakaur Soniasinh said she felt “a little shiver” while watching a movie at her home in Ang Mo Kio.
“In my head, I thought my high blood pressure was rising. All of a sudden, I felt dizzy and dizzy… Even my daughter, who was returning from Bishan to Ang Mo Kio, felt the shaking.”
The Singapore Meteorological Department announced on its website in an update at 1:13 a.m. on February 23 that the earthquake occurred approximately 1,500 kilometers from Singapore and that there were no reports of shaking or tsunami warnings.
According to the National Library Board’s Singapore Infopedia online platform, there are no records of earthquakes occurring in the republic as Singapore is located outside the seismic zone.
regularly experience low-level earthquakes
Earthquake that occurred in Sumatra, Indonesia.
However, Malaysia also experiences tremors from time to time, despite its reputation for being earthquake-free.
This is due to the presence of small fault lines and geological features within its boundaries.
In Malaysia, a magnitude 4.1 earthquake occurred in Segamat, Johor state.
The tremors were felt throughout the southern provinces, as well as in Negeri Sembilan, Malacca, and southern Pahang.
A second, milder shaking of magnitude 2.8
It struck the same area a few hours later.
Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister Arthur Joseph Krupp said in early February that the risk of an earthquake occurring in Malaysia over the next 10 years was assessed to remain at a low to moderate level.
He said the country has a relatively stable geological environment because of its location on the Sunda Shelf and outside the Pacific Ring of Fire.
However, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment Sustainability pointed out that this stability is not absolute as Malaysia is still affected by tectonic movements caused by the interaction of the region’s major plates. AFP
Additional reporting by Eileen Ng