6.8 magnitude earthquake hits waters off Sabah, tremors felt across country

KOTA KINABALU (Feb 23): A 6.8 magnitude earthquake was reported to have struck the waters off Sabah at 12.57am.

According to a statement from the Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia), the incident was detected at coordinates 7.0 degrees north and 116.4 degrees east.

The epicentre of the earthquake was detected at a distance of about 49km west of the Kudat area.

Apart from several areas in the state that felt the tremors due to the earthquake, tremors were also felt in several areas in Sarawak and Peninsular Malaysia.

However, no tsunami threat has been reported so far and MetMalaysia will continue to monitor the situation from time to time.

The department appealed to the public who felt the tremors due to the earthquake to provide information by filling out a questionnaire at https://forms.gle/bRkJBUqLEPAf8KVw9.

Meanwhile, the Sabah Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba) Operations Centre said no emergency calls related to the earthquake had been received as of this morning.

All fire stations are conducting patrols and monitoring their respective areas of responsibility to ensure public safety and controlled environment.

Many residents, who felt the tremors, shared their brief moments of panic on social media.