A quake struck off the coast of Malaysia early this morning. Photo / US Geological Survey
A strong 7.1-magnitude earthquake has struck off Malaysia’s Sabah state on Borneo island, US seismologists have said.
The epicentre of the quake was less than 100 kilometres northeast of the coastal state capital Kota Kinabalu at a depth of 619.8km, according to the US Geological Survey.
The
quake struck at 12.57am local time (5.57am NZT).
The USGS rated the likelihood of casualties or damage as low, and the US Tsunami Warning Centre did not issue an alert, saying the depth of the quake meant tsunami activity was not expected.
The Malaysian Meteorological Department said it would “continue to monitor the situation closely”, putting the quake’s magnitude at 6.8.
