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KOTA KINABALU - A moderate earthquake measuring 5.0 on the Richter scale struck the waters off Sandakan at 9.11pm on Tuesday, with strong tremors felt in parts of Sabah’s east coast.
The Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia), in a statement, said the earthquake was detected at coordinates 4.9 degrees North and 118.7 degrees East, at a depth of 10 kilometres.
It said the epicentre was located about 48 kilometres east of Lahad Datu.
The tremors were felt by residents in several areas, including Lahad Datu and Tawau.
In Lahad Datu, nurse Nur Damia Hanafi, 34, said she felt her car shaking while waiting at a traffic light on her way home.
“I was stopped at a red light when I suddenly felt the car shaking.
“I thought someone was shaking the car from outside, but the tremor lasted only briefly. I continued my journey home and only later found out that an earthquake had occurred,” she told Bernama.
Public servant Norusidah Ruslan, 45, also from Lahad Datu, said she noticed the tremor while doing diamond painting and saw the embroidered pieces hanging nearby sway.
“I thought I was feeling dizzy, but when I saw the clothes moving, I realised the shaking was getting stronger.
“This was my first experience of an earthquake. I panicked and called my husband, who was at a friend’s house, to check on his safety and ask whether the tremor had been felt elsewhere,” she said.
Housewife Nur Medina Abdullah, 40, said she was cleaning the kitchen when she felt the shaking for several seconds.
“At first I thought I was dizzy. I even wondered if there was something supernatural because I was alone in the kitchen. It turned out to be the tremor,” said the Lahad Datu resident.
The tremor was also felt in Tawau.
E-hailing driver Muhd Andri Sapar, 35, said he felt the tremor for about eight seconds while having a drink with a friend at a hotel in the town.
“The tremor felt strong but was brief. I was sitting and chatting with my friend when suddenly everything started to sway and the water in the glass was sloshing,” he said.
Housewife Siti Amilah Terence, 35, said she and her husband also experienced the tremor while leaving a mobile phone shop in Tawau.
“We felt the movement but it did not last long. I felt unsteady and dizzy during the tremor,” she said.
Meanwhile, the Sandakan Fire and Rescue Station conducted patrols along the coast as a precautionary measure following the earthquake.
Station chief Jimmy Lagung said no emergency calls or reports of earthquake-related damage had been received so far.
“The patrols are being carried out as a precautionary measure, covering coastal areas in Sandakan.
“Residents are advised not to panic as the situation remains under control. If they notice anything suspicious, they should contact the authorities immediately for further assistance,” he told reporters.
MetMalaysia said it would continue to closely monitor the situation following the earthquake.
The department also urged members of the public who felt the tremors to complete its official survey to assist in collecting field information.
The latest earthquake comes amid several tremors recorded in Sabah in recent weeks.
On Sept 26, MetMalaysia reported a weak 3.3-magnitude earthquake in Kuamut, Kinabatangan, while a 3.7-magnitude earthquake was detected about 88 kilometres north of Sandakan on Sept 17.
The Lahad Datu area, meanwhile, is recognised as having active seismic activity. A 2025 study by researchers from the Department of Minerals and Geosciences Malaysia and Universiti Malaysia Sabah found that the area has several active faults and has experienced frequent earthquakes of varying magnitudes.
Historical records cited in the study show that Lahad Datu was affected by a magnitude 6.6 earthquake in 1923 and a magnitude 6.2 earthquake in 1976.
MetMalaysia has also said Sabah is Malaysia’s most earthquake-prone state due to its proximity to active tectonic areas in the Philippines and Indonesia.
The state is exposed not only to local earthquakes but also tremors generated by earthquakes in the southern Philippines and northern Sulawesi.
