Kota Kinabalu: Residents in several districts along Sabah’s east coast faced an anxious morning following a tsunami advisory issued after a powerful 7.9-magnitude earthquake struck southern Philippines, at 7.37am, Monday.
According to reports, the earthquake off Mindanao killed at least 32 people, injuring more than 200 others mostly in damaged buildings and sending a one-metre (three-foot) tsunami into nearby coasts.
Tremors of the earthquake, which occurred at a depth of 50km, were felt by residents in the coastal areas of Tawau and Semporna.
Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) Director-General Dr Mohd Hisham Mohd Anip said the earthquake’s epicentre was located at latitude 5.7 degrees North and longitude 125.1 degrees East.
“The tremors were felt in several areas around Tawau and Semporna,” he said in a statement.
Dr Mohd Hisham said based on MetMalaysia’s analysis, tsunami waves of up to 0.4 metres were expected to reach coastal areas in Tawau, Semporna, Kunak and Lahad Datu between 10.30am and noon.
Following the advisory, members of the public in the affected areas were urged to remain vigilant and comply with instructions issued by the authorities from time to time.
Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor also advised residents in Tawau, Kunak, Semporna and Lahad Datu to remain calm and follow all directives issued by the relevant authorities.
He said the District Disaster Management Committees (JPBD) in the affected districts had been activated to manage the situation.
“It is important for the public to remain calm and continue complying with instructions from the authorities,” he said.
Hajiji added that the State Government, through the State Disaster Control Centre, was closely monitoring developments and the evolving situation.
Meanwhile, the Sabah Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM) deployed monitoring teams to coastal areas through its stations in Lahad Datu, Tawau, Kunak and Semporna.
Firefighters conducted inspections along coastal stretches, residential areas and identified risk locations to ensure public safety and monitor any changes in sea conditions.
Monitoring operations found no structural damage, unusual incidents, dangerous rises in sea levels or emergency situations in the affected areas.
According to a report issued by the Sabah Fire and Rescue Operations Centre, conditions in all monitored locations remained safe and under control.
MetMalaysia later announced that the tsunami advisory issued at 8.36am had been officially lifted at noon after conditions were confirmed to be safe.
The department said the termination of the advisory constituted its final update on the earthquake event unless further developments or additional information emerged.
MetMalaysia would continue monitoring the situation and advised the public to obtain verified weather and earthquake information through the department’s official website, the myCuaca application, its official social media platforms, or by contacting its hotline at 1300-22-1638.
