Strong quake hits off Malaysia’s Sabah

A strong 7.1-magnitude quake struck early on Monday (Feb 23) off Malaysia’s Sabah state on Borneo island, US seismologists said.

The epicentre of the quake was located less than 100km northeast of the coastal state capital Kota Kinabalu at a depth of 619.8km, the US Geological Survey said. The quake struck at 12.57am.

The USGS rated the likelihood of casualties or damage as low, and the US Tsunami Warning Center did not issue an alert, saying the depth of the quake meant tsunami activity was not expected.

The Malaysian Meteorological Department said it would “continue to monitor the situation closely”, putting the quake’s magnitude at 6.8.

It said tremors were felt on Sabah’s west coast and in several areas of Sarawak state.

In Singapore, some residents shared online that they also experienced tremors in the early hours of Monday.

“Felt it in Pasir Ris!!! My main door made some boooooom sound too,” one Reddit user wrote.

Another said: “Huge shake just now in Marine Parade ... Just past 1am, I’m near Katong side. Felt the whole building swaying left and right.”

A study conducted by a Malaysian government geological agency last October found that six states - Pahang, Terengganu, Perak and Negeri Sembilan in Peninsular Malaysia and the Borneo states of Sabah and Sarawak - are at risk of earthquakes.

A series of earthquakes struck Johor in late August last year, with magnitudes ranging from 2.5 to 4.1.