7.1 quake off Sabah, Malaysia; no tsunami warning
A 7.1 earthquake struck off Sabah, Malaysia, early February 23, 2026. No tsunami warning was issued, with the quake occurring at great depth.
A powerful magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck off the coast of Sabah state on Malaysia’s Borneo island in the early hours today, with no tsunami warning issued.
The US Geological Survey (USGS) reported that at 12.57am today (February 23, 2026), a magnitude 7.1 earthquake occurred. The epicentre was located less than 100 kilometres north-east of Kota Kinabalu, the coastal state capital of Sabah, at a depth of 619.8 kilometres.
However, the USGS assessed the likelihood of damage or deaths as low. The US Tsunami Warning Center did not issue a warning, saying that at such a depth a tsunami was not expected.
Malaysia’s Meteorological Department, which measured the quake at 6.8, said it would “continue to monitor the situation closely”. Tremors were felt along Sabah’s west coast and in several areas of Sarawak.
In Singapore, some residents posted that they felt shaking from the early hours. “I could feel it in Pasir Ris — my main gate made a loud bang, bang,” one Reddit user wrote. Another said: “It’s shaking really strongly right now in Marine Parade. It’s just after 1am. I’m near the Katong coast — it felt like the whole building was swaying left and right.”
