E-Paper
7.1 magnitude earthquake triggers panic in Malaysia, Philippines and Brunei; no tsunami warning issued
Malaysia earthquake: As per USGC, epicenter of quake was located less than 100km north-east of Kota Kinabalu, the capital of Malaysia's coastal Sabah state.
A powerful 7.1-magnitude earthquake struck early on Monday off the coast of Malaysia as per the US Geological Survey. While the earthquake struck near coastal Malaysia, the tremors of the quake were also felt in nearby countries of the Philippines and Brunei.
As per USGC, the epicenter of the quake was located less than 100km north-east of Kota Kinabalu, the capital of Malaysia's coastal Sabah state at a depth of 619.8km.
As reported by local news agency Bernama, head of MetMalaysia, Moh Hisham Mohd Anip stated that the earthquake occurred off Sabah's coast as the state lies near the Pacific ring of fire, which is a seismically active zone formed by the movement of the Earth's tectonic plates.
He further told the news agency that authorities are monitoring the situation and "no aftershocks were observed" so far.
‘Fan swung violently, doors swinging’
While no casualties and damage has been reported as of now, resident living in Kota Kinabalu and the surrounding areas reported strong tremors due to the earthquake.
"The quake lasted around 10 seconds, but felt much longer. The ceiling fan in the living room swung violently, and picture frames shook. It was stronger than any earthquake we've experienced before" a driver in Putatun was quoted as saying by local media.
Another person said she was sleeping and woke to find her "wardrobe door swinging" due to the building's movement.
Monday's earthquake marks the strongest quake to hit Malaysia since 2015. In 2015, a 6.0 magnitude earthquake struck Ranau in the coastal state of Sabah and claimed 18 lives.
