SEGAMAT: Worshippers at Surau Kampung Sanglang in Buloh Kasap experienced a tense start to their day when a tremor struck during dawn prayers, causing a section of the ceiling cornice to fall.

The quake hit just as the congregation was reciting the final sitting (tahiyat akhir), said surau imam Saniman Abdul Samad, 63.

“It happened so suddenly, a loud bang, then shaking. Thankfully, no one was hurt. It’s my first time experiencing an earthquake,” he said.

Ahmad Asri Talib, 52, from Taman Pawana in Kampung Tengah, said he felt the jolt around 6.15 am.

“There was a loud boom, then the whole house shook. Doors, windows, everything rattled. My sliding door felt like it had been kicked,” he said.

“People were shouting outside. It only lasted maybe 20 seconds, but it was intense,” he said.

Recalling similar tremors last August, he said a check with the Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) confirmed a 4.1-magnitude quake struck Segamat at 6.13 am.

Ahmad Asri said he felt a second tremor around 9 am while having breakfast in Pekan Jabi, and called for authorities to install earthquake detection equipment in Segamat for early warning purposes.

MetMalaysia later confirmed a second, weaker quake at a magnitude of 2.8 had occurred in Yong Peng, about 28 kilometres northwest of Kluang. – Bernama