KOTA KINABALU:Residents in the Sipitang and Beaufort districts in Sabah and Labuan were alarmed by an earth-shattering sound that lasted some 10 seconds at about 11 am today.
Jamlan Zainuddin, 44, a construction worker in Beaufort, said at first he thought it was the sound of the house he was repairing collapsing
''It was so sudden. It was like an explosion going off and the earth shook which caused us (he and his co-workers) to panic.
''We all got out of the house fearing it would collapse. My colleagues and I then contacted our families to ensure that they were safe,'' he said when contacted by Bernama.
A teacher, Aminah Siddek, 38, who lives in Sipitang, said she and her family immediately exited their house to save themselves upon feeling the floor shaking.
''Initially, we thought there was an earthquake in the area but could not find any information on it. We opened Facebook and it was full of stories of the tremors which were felt even in Labuan,'' she said.
She said there was much speculation about the incident by netizens and hoped the public would believe only information from legitimate sources.
Meanwhile, Beaufort district police chief, DSP Azmir Abdul Razak said investigations were being conducted to determine the source of the booming sound and urged residents to be calm.
In LABUAN, Bernama correspondent Jailani Hasan reported that loud booms rattled homes across the duty-free-island.
Residents in the villages of Tanjung Aru, Tanjung Kubong, Taman Mutiara, Sg Bedaun, Rancha-Rancha, Taman Lazenda, Kerupang and Patau-Patau 1 and 2 were alarmed at what was going on.
''It was the talk of the town here on Labuan after the booms, which lasted several seconds, were heard at around 11 am... it's like it came from the sky and I jumped up and said what was that. It wasn't someone knocking on the door, ' 'said Zulie Julkip, a Patau-Patau 1 resident.
Labuan's largest Whatsapp group, Kongsi-Kongsi Info Labuan was flooded with reports of the incident.
"I still wonder what it was," said Johan Goh, while various enforcement agencies confirmed they received numerous calls from people about the matter.
The Muara police station in neighbouring Brunei, when contacted, confirmed the incident but said did not receive any reports as of 1 pm.
Meanwhile, the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency here mobilised its assets in Labuan waters and the border with Brunei to determine the source of the explosive sound.
Labuan police said they had yet to receive reports from oil and gas industry players about it.
The Labuan Fire and Rescue Department has also been reached for a possible explanation but there has been no feedback yet.
Sipitang police chief Champin Piuh, when contacted, confirmed that there was no explosion at the Sabah Ammonia Urea Project (SAMUR).
Brunei's National Seismic Centre (NSC), in its portal, remarked on Moderate Seismic Activity at 11:03 am, that was clearly not caused by an earthquake or natural tremors in Brunei and surrounding countries. The seismic activity had been felt at a number of locations in Brunei.
-- BERNAMA
Bernama
Sun Jan 31 2021
In LABUAN, Bernama correspondent Jailani Hasan reported that loud booms rattled homes across the duty-free-island. - Photo for illustration purposes only
10 Berita Pilihan - (18 Oktober 2024)
Antara pelbagai berita dalam dan luar negara yang disiarkan di Astro AWANI, berikut adalah yang paling menjadi tumpuan sepanjang hari ini.
Belanjawan 2025: Cuepacs seru penjawat awam tingkat komitmen perbaiki sistem penyampaian
Penjawat awam diharap memberi komitmen penuh dalam memastikan iltizam kerajaan untuk menambah baik sistem penyampaian perkhidmatan awam kepada rakyat, dapat dilaksanakan dengan berkesan.
Kadar gaji minimum RM1,700 beri manfaat bagi pekerja dan majikan
Peningkatan kadar gaji minimum adalah usaha kerajaan untuk memastikan kebajikan pekerja terutama mereka yang berpendapatan rendah lebih terjamin.
Messi tidak tolak kemungkinan beraksi di Piala Dunia 2026
Messi menekankan bahawa dia lebih fokus untuk mengekalkan prestasi terbaiknya berbanding risau tentang pencapaian masa depan.
Jumlah mangsa banjir di tiga negeri meningkat malam ini
Di Perak, jumlah mangsa yang berlindung di 12 PPS meningkat kepada 1,587 orang berbanding 1,459 orang petang tadi.
Consider This: Budget 2025 (Part 1) — Balancing Progress & Prudence?
Budget 2025 was tabled in Dewan Rakyat today, and now the crucial evaluation begins. Does #Belanjawan2025 successfully balance progress and prudence? On this episode of #ConsiderThis Melisa Idris speaks to Danial Rahman, CEO of Asian Strategy & Leadership Institute (ASLI), and Doris Liew, Economist & Assistant Research Manager at IDEAS Malaysia's Public Finance Unit.
Dialog Anak Muda: Belanjawan 2025: Macam mana ok?
Rasionalisasi subsidi RON95, kadar baharu gaji minima dan pemerkasaan TVET antara tumpuan dalam pembentangan Belanjawan 2025. Analisis isu-isu ekonomi diteruskan dalam Dialog Anak Muda 8.30 malam ini.
AWANI Tonight: Belanjawan 2025: What are the hits and misses
Bait al-Amanah's Benedict Weerasena shares his thoughts on the hits and misses of Budget 2025, which sees an allocation of RM421 bil, a 3.3% increase from the previous year.
AWANI Tonight: Key highlights from Belanjawan 2025
Key highlights from Belanjawan 2025, which includes increased allocations for Sumbangan Tunai Rahmah (STR), tax reliefs for first home buyers, and cash aid for singles, among other reforms.
PDRM pastikan insentif Belanjawan 2025 dimanfaatkan sepenuhnya - KPN
PDRM akan memastikan semua perkara yang diumumkan dalam Belanjawan 2025 untuk pasukan keselamatan itu, akan dimanfaatkan sepenuhnya.