Gempa Bumi Sabah: Recent Earthquakes, the 2015 Ranau Quake & What to Do
Does Sabah have earthquakes?
Yes. Sabah regularly records earthquakes; many are weak, such as the magnitude 3.5 tremor near Ranau on 3 October 2026. The deadliest was the magnitude 6.0 Ranau earthquake of 5 June 2015, which killed 18 people on Mount Kinabalu. In February 2026 a very deep magnitude 6.8 quake off Kudat was the strongest in Malaysia in 11 years but caused no significant damage. For live alerts, use MetMalaysia's official channels.
This page is not a live feed. MetMalaysia monitors Sabah 24 hours a day through 28 seismic stations and puts out information within about 6 minutes of a quake (Malay Mail, 27 September 2026). Check MetMalaysia's official channels and ignore forwarded messages that "predict" quakes: MetMalaysia says earthquakes cannot be predicted.
Recent earthquakes in Sabah
Selected quakes reported by Malaysian news from MetMalaysia figures (last updated 10 October 2026).
| Date | Where | Magnitude | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 Oct 2026 | Sea about 48 km east of Lahad Datu | 5.0 | 9.11pm, depth 10 km | Bernama, 6 Oct 2026 |
| 3 Oct 2026 | Panginatan, 14 km south of Ranau | 3.5 | 10.57am, depth 13 km; felt nearby, no damage reported | Malay Mail, 3 Oct 2026 |
| 26 Sep 2026 | 34 km south-west of Tongod (Kuamut) | 3.3 | 5.32am, depth 118 km; second Kuamut quake after one in July | The Star, 26 Sep 2026 |
| 23 Feb 2026 | Sea about 49 km west of Kudat | 6.8 (USGS: 7.1) | 12.57am, very deep (about 620–680 km); no casualties or significant damage, no tsunami; strongest in Malaysia in 11 years | Malay Mail, 23 Feb 2026; Bernama, 24 Feb 2026 |
| 10 Feb 2025 | Kota Marudu | 3.8 | — | Malay Mail, 12 Feb 2025 |
Earlier notable quakes
| Date | Where | Magnitude | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 Jun 2015 | Ranau / Mount Kinabalu | 6.0 | 7.15am, 16 km north-west of Ranau, about 10 km deep. 18 killed on the mountain; 137 climbers brought down; Donkey's Ears peak damaged |
| Feb 2015 | Sandakan | 5.6 | — |
| Nov 2005 | Tawau | 5.8 | — |
| 1991 | Ranau | 5.1 | — |
| 1989 | Ranau | 5.6 | — |
| 1976 | Lahad Datu | 5.8 | Heavy property damage |
Earlier quakes as listed by the Borneo Post, 6 June 2015. The 2015 Ranau magnitude was first reported as 5.9; MetMalaysia now gives 6.0 (Malay Mail, 23 February 2026; Bernama, 24 February 2026).
The 2015 Ranau earthquake
Magnitude 6.0, first reported as 5.9 (MetMalaysia figure as reported by Malay Mail, 23 February 2026).
- Struck at 7.15am on Friday 5 June 2015, about 16 km north-west of Ranau.
- 18 people died on Mount Kinabalu, including mountain guides and 10 Singaporeans from Tanjong Katong Primary School (pupils and teachers).
- 137 stranded climbers were brought down with the help of mountain guides. The "Donkey's Ears" peak was damaged.
- Aftershocks and rain caused mudslides affecting about 1,000 residents in Kundasang, Ranau and Kota Belud. The government estimated repairs at over RM100 million.
- Summit climbs resumed on 1 December 2015, with 100 to 120 climbers allowed a day (Malay Mail, 24 December 2015).
Current climbing routes and permits: Mount Kinabalu permits.
Why Sabah has earthquakes
Sabah sits near the meeting point of the Eurasian, Indo-Australian and Philippine Sea plates. A UKM geologist explained that remnants of old sinking plates under the region cause the very deep quakes, like February 2026's (Bernama, 24 February 2026). Shallow quakes come from local faults: the Crocker Fault system in west Sabah (Kota Kinabalu, Ranau, Tambunan), the Mensaban Fault near Ranau, which is linked to the 2015 quake, and the Tarakan Basin fault system in east Sabah (Malay Mail, 12 February 2025).
Depth matters as much as magnitude: the shallow 6.0 in 2015 (about 10 km deep) was deadly, while the much stronger but very deep 6.8 in 2026 caused no significant damage.
Where to check after a tremor
- MetMalaysia (Jabatan Meteorologi Malaysia) is the official source for earthquake information in Malaysia.
- After an event, MetMalaysia shares an online form for people to report what they felt (Malay Mail, 3 October 2026).
- In an emergency, call 999. More numbers: emergency contacts.
What to do in an earthquake
Steps published in Malay Mail's guide to Sabah's quake risk (12 February 2025):
- Indoors: drop, cover and hold on. Stay away from windows and heavy objects. Don't use lifts.
- Outdoors: move to open ground away from buildings, trees and power lines. On the coast, if the shaking is strong, go to higher ground.
- Driving: pull over away from bridges, overpasses and power lines.
- After: check for injuries and gas leaks, expect aftershocks, keep out of damaged buildings, and use the phone for emergencies only.
Ringkasan (BM)
Gempa bumi kerap dicatatkan di Sabah, dan banyak yang lemah, seperti gempa bermagnitud 3.5 berhampiran Ranau pada 3 Oktober 2026. Gempa bumi Ranau pada 5 Jun 2015 (magnitud 6.0) mengorbankan 18 nyawa di Gunung Kinabalu. Pada 23 Februari 2026, gempa sangat dalam bermagnitud 6.8 di laut berhampiran Kudat ialah yang terkuat di Malaysia dalam 11 tahun, tetapi tidak menyebabkan kemalangan jiwa atau kerosakan besar. Untuk maklumat rasmi, rujuk MetMalaysia sahaja; gempa bumi tidak boleh diramal.
FAQ
Q Adakah gempa bumi di Sabah hari ini?
Semak saluran rasmi Jabatan Meteorologi Malaysia (MetMalaysia) sahaja. MetMalaysia memantau Sabah 24 jam melalui 28 stesen seismik dan mengeluarkan maklumat dalam masa kira-kira 6 minit selepas gempa (Malay Mail, 27 September 2026). Senarai di halaman ini dikemas kini dari laporan berita.
Q What was the biggest earthquake in Sabah?
By magnitude, the quake of 23 February 2026 off Kudat (6.8 according to MetMalaysia, 7.1 according to USGS) was the strongest in Malaysia in 11 years. It was very deep, about 620–680 km down, and caused no casualties or significant damage. The deadliest was the shallow 2015 Ranau quake (magnitude 6.0), which killed 18 people on Mount Kinabalu.
Q Can earthquakes in Sabah be predicted?
No. MetMalaysia says earthquakes cannot be predicted, and asks the public to rely only on its official channels (Malay Mail, 27 September 2026).
Q Which areas of Sabah are most at risk?
Universiti Malaysia Sabah researchers named Kundasang, Ranau, Pitas, Lahad Datu and Tawau as risk areas (Borneo Post, 6 June 2015).
Sources & References 9 sources
Last verified: 10 October 2026
News
- Bernama: earthquake off Lahad Datu (6 Oct 2026) Magnitude 5.0
- Malay Mail: Ranau records 3.5 earthquake (3 Oct 2026) Panginatan, 14 km south of Ranau
- Malay Mail: MetMalaysia keeps 24-hour watch with 28 seismic stations (27 Sep 2026) Monitoring and official channels
- The Star: second Kuamut quake (26 Sep 2026) Magnitude 3.3 near Tongod
- Malay Mail: offshore quake strongest in 11 years (23 Feb 2026) Kudat, magnitude 6.8
- Bernama Garasi: Stronger than Ranau, yet safer (24 Feb 2026) Why the deep quake caused no damage
- Malay Mail: Why Sabah shakes (12 Feb 2025) Fault lines and safety steps
- Malay Mail: Sabah earthquake, a 2015 shock for the nation (24 Dec 2015) 2015 timeline, deaths, damage
- Borneo Post: Ranau quake strongest since 1976 (6 Jun 2015) Earlier Sabah quakes, risk areas