KOTA KINABALU: A light earthquake measuring 4.8 on the Richter scale struck the Borneo region at 6.37pm on Wednesday (Nov 5), with mild tremors reportedly felt in Tawau in southeastern Sabah.

The Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) said the quake was detected at coordinates 2.7°N and 116.6°E, about 227km south of Sapulut at a depth of 10km.

Several residents in Tawau shared on Facebook that they experienced brief shaking. “Yes, I felt the tremor earlier,” wrote user Samila Ila.

Another user, Rose Ina, said, “I froze for a moment — felt the flat sway twice.” “I felt three or four short movements and stopped to check on my child,” added user Nur Hana.

Tawau Fire and Rescue station chief Jemishin Ujin said no emergency calls or reports had been received.

“The epicentre in Sapulut is about 300km from here, so it wasn’t strongly felt in Tawau. For now, we have not received any reports," he said when contacted.

No damage or injuries have been reported as of press time.