KUNAK: Schools in the district allowed parents to take their children home as a precautionary measure following concerns over a possible tsunami after an earthquake in Mindanao, the Philippines.
All secondary schools, primary schools and private kindergartens were understood to have instructed students to return home early, while afternoon school sessions on Monday were cancelled.
Several grocery shops and other business premises around Jalan Pangkalan and the Sapang building area near the coast were also closed as a precaution.
District police chief Supt Rejali Angong said security personnel, including police, the Fire and Rescue Department, Rela and the Civil Defence Force (APM), had been deployed to several coastal locations and seaside settlements to monitor the situation.
A tsunami warning siren was also activated automatically on Monday morning.
He said the situation remained under control and advised the public not to panic while continuing to follow official instructions and updates.
In Tawau, traffic was reported to be heavier than usual with many vehicles queuing at petrol stations, while parents were asked to collect their children from schools and villagers living near the coast were understood to have temporarily evacuated their homes.
