Another earthquake hits Johor — 7th in a week

Johor experienced yet another mild tremor on Sunday (Aug 31), when a 2.9-magnitude earthquake struck near Batu Pahat at 1.57pm, reported the Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia).

The tremor occurred approximately 25km west of Batu Pahat in the Straits of Melaka, at a depth of 10km, reported The Star.

This marks the seventh earthquake to affect Johor in recent days, following a series of six tremors centred in the Segamat district.

MetMalaysia director-general Dr Mohd Hisham Mohd Anip said the incident happened at sea, and any magnitude below three is not considered significant if not felt by anyone, reported the New Straits Times.

Previous quakes

On August 30 at 7.29am, a 2.7-magnitude earthquake struck Johor, occurring 2km northwest of Segamat town at a depth of 10km. Some five government buildings reportedly suffered minor damage from the quake.

Segamat has experienced multiple tremors recently, including the strongest so far — a 4.1-magnitude quake on August 24.

No injuries have been reported, but local residents have expressed concern over the increasing frequency of earthquakes in the region. 

MetMalaysia said monitoring efforts are ongoing amid the unusual spate of seismic activity and has assured the public it will continue to provide updates on any further developments, reported the Malay Mail.

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xingying.koh@asiaone.com