Tawau: The Fire and Rescue Department has received two reports of tremors felt by residents at Wisma Persekutuan and Taman Tawau following a strong earthquake that struck Mindanao, in the Philippines, this morning. Tawau Fire and Rescue Department operations officer Madzlan Sarman said no damage had been reported as a result of the tremors.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, inspections were conducted immediately after reports were received at about 8 am, and monitoring has continued since. Sea conditions remained normal as of 11 am, while the department closely monitored coastal areas, particularly residential zones, until the tsunami warning was lifted.

The department has been monitoring areas including coastal stretches along Jalan Traulsen, such as Tinagat, and is prepared for any eventuality. Preparations were made at the station in collaboration with the Marine Police Force, including the deployment of boat assets and life jackets.

A survey by BERNAMA found conditions along the coastline in Tawau town to be relatively calm, although high tide was observed. Several boats were seen operating at sea, while police personnel conducted patrols and prevented public access to the shoreline as a precautionary measure.

The earthquake, with a magnitude of 7.9, struck Mindanao at 7.37 am at a depth of 50 kilometres. The epicentre was located at latitude 5.7 degrees north and longitude 125.1 degrees east. Following the quake, authorities issued a tsunami warning, with waves of up to 0.4 metres expected to affect coastal areas in Tawau, Semporna, Kunak, and Lahad Datu between 10.30 am and noon today.