Recently, the state of Johor in Malaysia has experienced a series of earthquakes, with the latest incident occurring on Thursday, August 28, at 7:56 p.m. This particular event, a 2.5-magnitude quake, was the fourth of its kind to be reported within a five-day period.
According to the Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia), the epicenter of the earthquake was situated 13km north of Segamat at a depth of 10km. Tremors were felt in the area for a few seconds. MetMalaysia has requested that members of the public who felt the quake fill out an online form to provide details such as their location, contact information, and the duration of the tremor.
Malaysia’s Minister of Federal Territories, Zaliha Mustafa, has advised residents of Segamat to remain calm and avoid spreading unverified information. She confirmed that no injuries or property damage have been reported from this most recent incident.
The three previous earthquakes occurred in the days leading up to the fourth quake:
- First Earthquake: On Sunday, August 24, a 4.1-magnitude earthquake struck 5km west of Segamat. The tremors were felt in surrounding states, including Negeri Sembilan, Melaka, and southern Pahang.
- Second Earthquake: A few hours after the first, a 2.8-magnitude quake was recorded with its epicenter located 28km northwest of Kluang.
- Third Earthquake: On Wednesday, August 27, a 3.2-magnitude earthquake hit 18km south of Segamat at a depth of 10km. This event also caused tremors to be felt across Johor and southern Pahang.
These recent seismic events are the result of tectonic energy being suddenly released from the movement of the continental crust. A historical comparison was also made to a past event in December 1948, when an earthquake caused tremors in Singapore, reportedly damaging a house in Chinatown.
