A powerful 7.1-magnitude earthquake rattled Sabah state in Malaysia on Borneo island early Monday morning, according to US seismologists.
The quake’s epicenter was situated less than 100 kilometers northeast of Kota Kinabalu, the state capital, at a depth of 619.8 kilometers, as reported by the US Geological Survey. The seismic event occurred at 12:57 am local time (1657 GMT Sunday).
The USGS assessed the risk of casualties or damage as low, and the US Tsunami Warning Center did not issue any alerts, citing the quake’s depth as a factor that made tsunami activity unlikely.
The Malaysian Meteorological Department confirmed they were closely monitoring the situation and reported the earthquake’s magnitude as 6.8. Tremors were felt in several areas of Sarawak state and on the west coast of Sabah.
