“The strongest one was in 1966 which recorded amagnitude 5.3 on the Richter scale. Succeeding earthquakes were relatively minor and did not cause loss of life or damage to property,” she said.
“Friday’s earthquake was the strongest by far but still considered as moderate in the scale.”
Che Gayah said earthquakes could not be forecasted or predicted, but everyone could take measures to handle the situation during an earthquake and prepare themselves for aftershocks.
“We have had 54 incidents, including the earthquake and its aftershocks, the past three days. This will continue till the earth’s crust has finally released its pressure,” she said.
“Mother nature is a living thing, and there’s a lot of stress on the earth’s crust and surface, which is released in the form of earthquakes and tremors.”
Che Gayah said the move to close Mount Kinabalu for the next three weeks was wise as it would avoid any more calamities that might occur should a fresh wave of earthquakes hit.
She also advised those in a 50km radius from the earthquake’s epicentre to check their homes, office buildings and other structures for cracks.
“Dpo not overlook that. Once you find any crack marks, inform the Fire and Rescue Department. They will attend to it as the building might collapse if no action is taken,” she said.
She also expressed her disappointment that buildings in Sabah were not built to withstand earthquakes, even when it was fact the state was prone to earthquakes.
Post time 8-6-2015 10:45 AM
Post time 8-6-2015 11:19 AM
Picture taken from Charlene Dmp's Facebook account.KUALA LUMPUR, June 8 — As Sabah reels from aftershocks from the recent earthquake that surprised everyone, the Meteorological Department confirmed it was a known fact the state was at high risk of earthquakes.
