CCTV footage captures Johor quake rattling homes, some residents shaken

A weak 4.1-magnitude earthquake was captured on video rattling homes in Segamat, Johor, Malaysia, for several seconds early Sunday morning (Aug 24).

In a statement by the Malaysian Meteorological Department, the quake happened at about 6.13am, 5km west of Segamat in Johor.

The agency added that the mild quake occurred at a depth of 10km, and that there is no tsunami threat.

Several videos, believed to be CCTV footage from residential homes in Segamat were posted on social media, showing vehicles parked outside being rocked by the earthquake, causing their alarms to go off.

One clip, which appears to have been posted by a resident in Segamat, was captured from a relatively high angle pointing towards what seems to be a living room. Shortly after, a rattling sound can be heard, followed by what are assumed to be items falling.

Another video, also apparently posted by a resident in Segamat according to the hashtags, showed shaky footage of a vehicle parked outside their home. A few birds fly past — seemingly startled by the sudden movement and noises caused by the quake.

From the videos, the tremors appeared to last for up to five seconds based on AsiaOne's observation.

Many netizens expressed shock at the unexpected quake, with some describing the occurrence as scary. 

One netizen commented how they were preparing for morning prayers "and hugged for a while" when the quake happened.

Another user living in Ipoh described hearing a loud noise "three times" but did not feel any vibration. "The bang was so loud... I don't know what it was".

One resident from Jalan Tasek Alai told Malaysian news agency Bernama that he thought "his house was about to collapse" when it shook at about 6.13am.

"I panicked and quickly got my wife and child out of the house," said Nur Hafiz Mukmin, 32, adding that the situation returned to normal in a few seconds. 

Johor's chief minister Onn Hafiz Ghazi said in a Facebook post that no injuries or property damages have been reported.

The Johor state government is closely monitoring the situation with relevant agencies and called on the public to stay away from unstable structures and pay attention to the instructions issued by the authorities.

This is not the first time Malaysia has experienced an earthquake with the epicentre originating from its landmass, according to The Star.

A series of 13 minor earthquakes — ranging from 2.5- to 3.5-magnitude — also occurred along Malaysia's Bukit Tinggi fault, spanning the Selangor and Pahang border from Nov 30, 2007 to Jan 14, 2008. 

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erikolim@asiaone.com