KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 23 — The earthquake that struck off the coast of Sabah early this morning is the strongest to hit the country in 11 years.

Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) director-general Dr Mohd Hisham Mohd Anip said that based on the department’s records, the previous strongest earthquake in Malaysia occurred on June 5, 2015, in Ranau, Sabah.

The 6.0-magnitude quake claimed 18 lives and is still regarded as one of the most notable earthquakes in the country’s history.

Commenting on this morning’s quake, Mohd Hisham explained that it occurred off Sabah’s coast because the state lies near the Pacific Ring of Fire, a seismically active zone formed by the movement of Earth’s tectonic plates.

“We are monitoring the situation closely and will continue to do so. No aftershocks have been recorded so far,” he told Bernama.

“Because the earthquake’s epicentre lies deep beneath the Earth’s surface, at a depth of 678 km, only mild tremors were felt by the public,” he said.

In a statement this morning, MetMalaysia reported that a powerful 6.8-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Sabah at 12.57 am, but posed no tsunami threat.

The epicentre was located approximately 49 km west of Kudat, Sabah, and tremors were felt across parts of Sabah, Sarawak and Peninsular Malaysia. — Bernama