Minor earthquakes hit Sabah, Sarawak hours apart

 MetMalaysia says there is no need for alarm over the quakes which occurred on Tuesday.

Sabah and Sarawak reported two minor earthquakes on Tuesday, both measuring 2.9 on the Richter scale. (Reuters pic)

PETALING JAYA:

Two magnitude-2.9 earthquakes struck Sabah and Sarawak less than 12 hours apart on Tuesday, with tremors felt in several towns across both states.

According to the meteorological department (MetMalaysia), the first quake hit Ranau, Sabah, at 10.36am, at a depth of 10km. Tremors were reported in Kundasang, Ranau town, and Kota Belud.

Later that night, at 10.33pm, a second quake hit Mambong, Sarawak, also at a depth of 10km, with tremors reported in the Samarahan and Serian areas.

“MetMalaysia will continue to monitor the situation and issue updates from time to time.

“The public need not be concerned as the earthquakes were of minor magnitude,” its director-general Hisham Anip said in a statement today.

No property damage or injuries were reported.

Ranau is among Malaysia’s most seismically active areas. In June 2015, a magnitude-6.0 earthquake struck the district, killing 18 people, including students and teachers on a school expedition to Mount Kinabalu. - FMT