Sabah on alert after Philippine quake
BY LOURDES CHARLES AND MUGUNTAN VANAR
KOTA KINABALU: Thousands of people living in coastal areas of Sabah grabbed their children and whatever belongings they could after a strong earthquake shook southern Philippines.
Bukit Aman placed the Sabah police on alert at 8.56pm after an earthquake measuring 7.2 on the Richter scale was recorded with its epicentre in the seas south of Mindanao island.
The Philippines Institute of Vulcanlogy and Seismology placed the magnitude of the quake at 6.9 and said it was tectonic in origin but gave no possible tsunami occurrence.
The Malaysian Metrological Department also received a similar report and the police were informed there would be no tsunami effect but they went on alert as a precautionary measure.
However, people panicked after the alert went out as the warning came three days after a tremor in the interior Ranau district sent shivers into the village folk.

• The Star Online