KUALA LUMPUR, June 8 — Another earthquake, a moderate magnitude of 5.3, struck Mindanao, the Philippines, at 12.44pm today, said the Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia).
The tremor occurred at a depth of 70km, approximately 155km north-west of the Talaud Islands, Indonesia.
“No tsunami threat has been issued for Malaysia,” it said in a statement.
Earlier this morning, a strong 7.9-magnitude earthquake at a depth of 50km struck Mindanao at 7.37am, with tremors felt in parts of Sabah, including Tawau and Semporna.
Following the initial quake, tsunami warning sirens were activated along several coastal areas in Sabah as authorities issued a precautionary alert forecasting waves of up to 0.4 metres in Tawau, Semporna, Kunak, and Lahad Datu.
MetMalaysia later confirmed that the tsunami advisory was later officially lifted at 12pm.
Meanwhile, in Tawau, a Bernama check at the scene found that sirens at Masjid Al-Kauthar's compound were sounded again at 12.17pm to signal the end of the warning to residents.
The Early Tsunami Warning System siren had been activated more than 20 times earlier, accompanied by public announcements in both Malay and English confirming that there was no longer any tsunami threat.
Earlier in the morning, the alarm was triggered by authorities and clearly heard in several coastal areas, including the densely populated Kampung Titingan.
MetMalaysia said the advisory issued at 8.36am was lifted after continuous monitoring confirmed no further tsunami risk.
