A 5.2-MAGNITUDE earthquake struck Ranau in Sabah tonight, the Malaysian Meteorological Department said, as social media users in the state scramble to assure loved ones of their safety.

The quake was categorised as “medium” and struck Ranau at 9.06pm with a depth of 5km, the department said on its Facebook page.

There was no tsunami alert, it added.

In an immediate reaction, Sabah Parks director Jamili Nais said climbers on Mount Kinabalu were safe.

“We might halt any climbs to the summit until our staff can check the conditions,” he told The Malaysian Insight.

The last quake that struck Sabah was on June 5, 2015, measuring 6.0 magnitude and killing 18 people on Mount Kinabalu.

It also struck Ranau, causing property damage, and tremors were felt in districts further away. The 2015 quake damaged the famed “Donkey’s Ears” formation on the peak of Mount Kinabalu.

State Tourism Minister Masidi Manjun tweeted that tremors were felt in many parts of Sabah’s west coast, including the capital, Kota Kinabalu.

At the time of tonight’s quake, around 130 climbers were at Laban Rata on the mountain waiting to ascend the summit tomorrow, workers at the Sutera Sanctuary Lodge at Laban Rata told The Malaysian Insight.

Workers said the ground at Laban Rata was still shaking and rocks were rolling down from the mountain about 15 minutes after the first tremor hit.

Universiti Malaysia Sabah geologist Felix Tongkul told The Malaysian Insight it had been nearly three years since the last earthquake. The 2015 quake was the strongest ever recorded in Malaysia, since a 5.8-magnitude tremblor in Lahad Datu in 1976.

“We are expecting an aftershock, but we don’t know when, but it will not be as strong as the first one,” he said. 

“The best thing to do is for the climbers at Laban Rata to head on down because we do not know what will happen next,” said Tongkul.

A photo of climbers gathering outside the lodge at Laban Rata in the dark of night after the quake is being shared widely on chat groups. 

Some families in Kundasang, Ranau, are expected to spend the night in their cars for fear of aftershocks.

Rosle Samporo, 55, said he has asked his wife and children to pack all their important documents as they plan to camp out in their Toyota Hilux.

“We are in a state of panic and want to make the first move if anything terrible might happen. This is reminding us of what happened in 2015.” he told The Malaysian Insight.

The Meteorological Department also reported a 2.8-magnitude aftershock in Ranau at 9.27pm. – March 8, 2018.