LAHAD DATU: The 5.0-magnitude earthquake that struck the waters off Sandakan at 9.11pm Tuesday night was felt by residents here, in Tawau, Kunak and Semporna.
The Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) said the epicentre was located about 48km east of Lahad Datu, at coordinates 4.9 degrees North and 118.7 degrees East, at a depth of 10km.
Nurse Nur Damia Hanafi, 34, from Lahad Datu, said she felt the shaking while 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 said.
Public servant Norusidah Ruslan, 45, also from Lahad Datu, said she noticed the tremor while working on diamond embroidery and saw the embroidered clothes 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.
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.
Nasirah, a Kunak resident, said the tremors lasted about five to six seconds.
“When the tremors occurred we could feel the building shaking. I immediately took my children out of the flat for safety reason,” she said.
Meanwhile, the Civil Defence Force (APM) deployed teams to several coastal areas in Lahad Datu following the quake as part of its preparedness measures to monitor sea conditions and identify any unusual changes following the earthquake.
Monitoring was carried out at several strategic locations, including the Bandar Lahad Datu and POIC areas, Parapat and Makuou coastlines, the Tungku coastline and the coastal area near Felda Sahabat 16.
In Tawau, 13 personnel, including officers, were deployed to conduct patrols around the district.
