Strong quake hits off Malaysia's Sabah, biggest recorded in 11 years
The 7.1-magnitude earthquake struck 100km outside of Malaysia's Kota Kinabalu, with some residents in Singapore saying they felt the tremors. It is Malaysia's strongest earthquake in 11 years.
A screenshot from the US Geological Survey website of the epicentre of the 7.1-magnitude earthquake on Feb 23, 2026. (Image: USGS)
KUALA LAMPUR: A strong 7.1-magnitude quake struck early on Monday (Feb 23) off Malaysia's Sabah state on Borneo island, US seismologists said.
The epicentre of the 7.1 magnitude quake that stuck on Monday was located less than 100km northeast of the coastal state capital Kota Kinabalu at a depth of 619.8km, the US Geological Survey said.
The quake struck at 12.57am.
The USGS rated the likelihood of casualties or damage as low, and the US Tsunami Warning Center did not issue an alert, saying the depth of the quake meant tsunami activity was not expected.
The Malaysian Meteorological Department (Metmalaysia) put the quake's magnitude at 6.8, saying tremors were felt on Sabah's west coast and in several areas of Sarawak state.
No incidents had been reported following the earthquake, the Sabah Fire and Rescue Department Operations Centre told Malaysian national news agency Bernama.
"All stations are patrolling and monitoring their areas to ensure public safety and keep the situation under control," it said.
Later on Monday, Metmalaysia's director-general Mohd Hisham Mohd Anip reportedly said the quake was Malaysia's strongest earthquake in 11 years.
The country's last strongest 6.0-magnitude quake occurred on Jun 5, 2015 in Ranau, Sabah, which claimed 18 lives and is regarded as one of its most notable earthquakes.
Hisham explained that the latest quake occurred off Sabah's coast as the state lies near the Pacific Ring of Fire, a seismically active zone formed by movement of Earth's tectonic plates.
Malaysia's Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister Arthur Joseph Kurup said the impact of the earthquake was minimal and the situation was "under control".
"Although the tremors could be felt as far as Sarawak and Peninsular Malaysia due to its depth in the Mantle Zone, its impact on the earth's surface is weak and the risk of structural damage is generally low," he said in a statement on Monday, as quoted by news agency Bernama.
Residents in coastal areas need not worry about a tsunami threat at this time, Arthur added.
He said that the incident is different from the 2015 Ranau earthquake, which was "shallow in nature".
He described the latest quake as a natural geological process occurring far beneath the earth's crust due to oceanic plate movement.
"Generally, the risk of building damage is low. However, tremors may be felt more strongly in areas with soft soil," he said.
While Sabah is geologically active, the incident does not pose a major threat to public safety, he added.
Arthur said that the Department of Mineral and Geoscience (JMG) is working with local authorities to ensure that earthquake-resistant building codes continue to be enhanced for pubic safety.
Meanwhile in Singapore, some residents shared online that they also experienced tremors in the early hours of Monday.
"Felt it in Pasir Ris!!! My main door made some boooooom sound too," one Reddit user wrote.
Another said: “Huge shake just now in Marine Parade ... Just past 1am, I’m near Katong side. Felt the whole building swaying left and right."
A study conducted by a Malaysian government geological agency last October found that six states - Pahang, Terengganu, Perak and Negeri Sembilan in Peninsular Malaysia and the Borneo states of Sabah and Sarawak - are at risk of earthquakes.
A series of earthquakes struck Johor in late August last year, with magnitudes ranging from 2.5 to 4.1.
