A strong earthquake measuring magnitude 6.8 struck waters off Sabah in the early hours of Monday, sending tremors across several districts in the state.
In a statement, the Jabatan Meteorologi Malaysia (MetMalaysia) said the quake occurred at 12.57am.
The epicentre was located at coordinates 7.0 degrees North and 116.4 degrees East, at a depth of 678 kilometres, approximately 49km west of Kudat.
Tremors were reported in multiple areas across Sabah, including Kota Kinabalu, where residents described feeling the ground shake for several seconds. Despite the strength of the quake, no tsunami threat has been issued so far.
MetMalaysia said it will continue to monitor the situation closely and provide updates when necessary, underscoring the importance of vigilance in seismic-prone regions.
Meanwhile, posts on social media platforms such as Facebook captured the moment some residents experienced the tremor while resting at home. A video circulating online showed visible shaking inside a residence during the incident.
Checks on MetMalaysia’s Facebook comment section also revealed numerous users sharing their accounts of the quake.
In response, the Operations Control Centre of the Jabatan Bomba dan Penyelamat Malaysia (JBPM) confirmed that personnel from the Balai Bomba dan Penyelamat Kota Kinabalu carried out patrols around the city centre.
“Monitoring was conducted along coastal areas near the Sabah International Convention Centre following the earthquake.
“Inspections were also carried out in other districts such as Putatan and Kudat, among others,” it said.
