UTC time | 2015-06-04 23:15:43 |
---|---|
ISC event | 610635042 |
USGS-ANSS | ComCat |
Local date | 5 June 2015 |
Local time | 07:15:43 MST (UTC+08:00) [1] |
Duration | 30 seconds |
Magnitude | 6.0 (Mw) (USGS) 5.9 (Mw) (MetMalaysia) |
Depth | 18.1 km (11.2 mi) [2] |
Epicentre | 5°58′48″N116°31′30″E / 5.980°N 116.525°E [1] |
Type | Dip-slip (normal) |
Areas affected | West Coast & Interior Division (Mount Kinabalu area), Sabah, East Malaysia |
Total damage | Building and infrastructure damage, landslides & geological changes, $2.84 billion (USD) |
Max. intensity | MMI VI (Strong) [1] |
Landslides | Yes |
Aftershocks | 130 (As of 1 April 2016) [3] |
Casualties | 18 deaths 11 wounded |
The 2015 Sabah earthquake (Malay : Gempa Bumi Sabah 2015) struck Ranau, Sabah, Malaysia with a moment magnitude of 6.0 on 5 June, [1] which lasted for 30 seconds. [4] The earthquake was the strongest to affect Malaysia since the 1976 Sabah earthquake. [5]
Tremors were also felt in Tambunan, Tuaran, Kota Kinabalu, Inanam, Kota Belud, Kota Marudu, Kudat, Likas, Penampang, Putatan, Kinarut, Papar, Beaufort, Keningau, Beluran, Sandakan, Kunak, Tawau in Sabah and as far afield as Federal Territory of Labuan, Lawas, Limbang and Miri in Sarawak as well as Bandar Seri Begawan in Brunei. [6] [7] [8] [9] [10]
Eighteen fatalities were reported, all occurring on Mount Kinabalu, [11] including ten Singaporeans, six Malaysians, and two from both China and Japan. About 137 climbers were stranded on the mountain but were subsequently rescued. [12]
As a result of the earthquake, most areas in the Kinabalu Park have been closed temporarily until the situation is cleared and undergoing repairs and rehabilitation. [13] [14]
Sabah lies within the Sunda plate away from any plate boundaries. It was the location of a convergent plate boundary until some time during the Early Miocene. Since then Sabah has been massively uplifted, with the Kinabalu Granite, which was emplaced during the early Late Miocene (between 7.8 and 7.2 million years ago), being exhumed at a rate of 7 mm per year during Late Miocene–Early Pliocene (~ 8–3 Ma ago). [15] the region continues to rise at a long term rate of about 0.5 mm each year. [16] The uplift is thought to be a result of either break-off of the subducted slab or delamination of the lithosphere. Despite not being at a plate boundary, GPS measurements show that the coastal part of Sabah is moving towards the north-west. The uplift is thought to be driving gravitational collapse with sliding of the northwestern part of Sabah being accommodated by extension. This is consistent with the focal mechanism of earlier earthquakes in the onshore area. [17]
The earthquake occurred on 5 June 2015 at MST (23:15:43 UTC) at a depth of approximately 18.1 km (11.2 mi), [2] with its epicentre approximately 15 km (9.3 mi) north of Ranau and lasting for thirty seconds. [4] [18] The earthquake was initially reported as 6.0 Mw by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) while the Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) reported the earthquake's magnitude to be 5.9 Ms. [1] [19]
The earthquake was caused by movement on a SW-NE trending normal fault. [20] As the epicentre of the earthquake was near to Mount Kinabalu, the shaking caused massive landslides around the mountain. [21]
According to the claims of local natives, the earthquake was caused by "aki" (the mountain protectors) who had become angered over the acts of ten western tourists (comprising six men and four women from Canada, Germany, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom) [22] who "stripped and urinated at the mountain (which is believed by local natives as a sacred place) on 30 May", six days before the earthquake happened. [23] The tourists also shouted vulgarities when they were told to desist by their mountain guide. [24] [25] The acts provoked outrage among Sabahan natives who want all of the alleged offenders charged in native court and forced to pay the "sogit", a type of compensation, given in the form of money or livestock, to appease the aggrieved party according to local Kadazan-Dusun native customs. It is imposed on wrongdoers for the purpose of appeasing "the aggrieved", thus placating the native community. [26] However, as most of the detained tourists have been released from Malaysia's prison and escaping native court, the local villagers had performed their own rituals. [27] The misconduct was also condemned by the Science Adviser to the Malaysian Prime Minister who said:
Science has no answer to that (the sacred mountain). If the mountain is sacred, we have to respect that. It is part of the traditional and local knowledge that are increasingly recognised by the international community. [28]
The brother of one of the deceased mountain guides also criticised the behaviour of the tourists, saying:
It is not about laws or superstition, but about having mutual respect among human beings. As a Christian, I too do not believe in superstition, but I adhere to the advice and beliefs of the elders out of respect. It is part of being humans, we don't do things that will offend our fellow-human beings whether they are Muslims, Christian or Animists. This is something we taught here, but I guess a person like him (one of the bad nudists) doesn't have this in him. [29]
Following the incident, some of the tourists and their family members have expressed their apologies to all involved parties with the United Kingdom government beginning to review their travelling advice to Malaysia. [30] [31]
In the immediate aftermath of the earthquake that evening, three aftershocks occurred, with the first and second at 21:10 MST and 23:13 MST respectively, each measuring 4.3 magnitude, while a third at 23:32 MST was 2.8 Mw. [32] By 23 June 90 aftershocks had been reported at Ranau by the Malaysian Meteorological Department, ranging in magnitudes from 1.6 to 5.2. [3] [33]
Country | Deaths | Ref. |
---|---|---|
Singapore [n 1] | 10 | [32] [36] [37] |
Malaysia | 6 | [32] [36] |
China | 1 | [38] |
Japan | 1 | [39] [40] |
Total | 18 |
187 climbers were impacted, according to Sabah official sources, with most of them from Malaysia and Singapore, and others from Australia, Belgium, Canada, China, Denmark, France, Germany, India, Ireland, Japan, Kazakhstan, Netherlands, New Zealand, the Philippines, South Korea, Thailand, Turkey, United Kingdom and the United States. [36] [41] 137 of them were stranded but subsequently rescued. [12]
The majority of fatalities were teachers and students from a Singaporean climbing group from the Tanjong Katong Primary School; initially reportedly missing, the Singaporeans were later officially confirmed dead by the Singaporean Ministry of Education with an official statement released on 10 June. [11] Malaysian nationals accounted for the second most number of deaths, including two climbers (revised downwards from three initially reported missing) [36] and four mountain guides. Subsequent investigation and witness by other climbers found that the four mountain guides died while protecting climbers. [42] [43] The four guides were identified as Robbi Sapinggi, [44] Valerian Joannes, Ricky Masirin and Joseph Solungin. [43] [45] A Japanese climber also died while protecting one of the Singaporean school students as revealed by the owner of the accommodation where the climber stayed. [40] [46] [47]
During the earthquake, one of the peaks on Mount Kinabalu (called the Donkey's Ears) was broken off. [12] The source of the Poring Hot Springs a popular tourist area near Ranau, turned murky and black [48] for a few hours due to the earthquake, which disrupted a clay deposit that interrupts the fault gap that heats up the rainwater. [21] Some infrastructure was reported damaged with around 23 schools in six different districts affected, and Ranau Mosque was also damaged due to the tremor. [49] [50]
Serious damage occurred to the hostels and resthouse near the summit of Mount Kinabalu. Buildings were similarly affected by the earthquake in Kota Belud and Tuaran. [51] The areas around Kundasang and Ranau suffered water supply disruption when the main water drainage pipe burst, and several plants in both regions were damaged with a leakage in the deposition tank. [52]
Sabah local mountain guides became the first rescuers during the situation, as reported by an Australian climber. [53] [54] Government agencies like the Fire and Rescue Department, [55] Royal Malaysia Police and Malaysian Armed Forces provided equipment during the rescue missions as was reported by the mountain guides. [56] Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Kota Kinabalu was turned into a disaster centre. [57] The National Security Council (NSC) dispatched 25 members of the Special Malaysia Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team (SMART) – paramedics, engineers and rescuers. [58]
Prime Minister Najib Razak ordered efforts to rescue victims stuck on Mount Kinabalu, with the army troops put on standby, as well as a 24-hour helpline being opened. [6] [59] [60] Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin ordered the NSC to introduce an early warning system for earthquakes including for school buildings as well the setting up of a seismic centre to monitor earthquake activities in the state. [61] [62]
Sabah State Government together with the Federal Government donated MYR5,000 (U$1,000+) each for Malaysians who died on the quake while MYR2,000 (U$300+) for injured victims. [63] The Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS) has launched an impromptu donation drive for victims of the Sabah earthquake at the party's muktamar on 5 June and raised a total of MYR19,800 (around U$5,000+) from delegates. [64] The Barisan Nasional Women's Wing together with the Sabah Community Services Council has also launched a fund, starting with MYR20,000 (US$5,300). [65] The Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA) Sabah branch donated a total of MYR50,000 (US$13,558). [66] An amount of MYR10,000 (US$2,711) also being raised by Democratic Action Party (DAP) Sabah branch to the Kinabalu Mountain Guide Association with another MYR10,000 are given to each family of the four mountain guides who perished during the earthquake. [67]
AirAsia has collaborating with the Malaysia Volunteer Fire and Rescue Association (MVFRA) to transport relief items to Sabah. [68] The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) together with local telecommunications companies have started a public fund. [69] The Malaysian Islamic Development Department (JAKIM) has hold a special prayers for the well-being of the people in Sabah and that the earthquake tragedy does not recur. [70] While the Sarawak State Government and Johor Sultan Ibrahim has donated a total MYR1 million (around US$200,000+) respectively. [71] [72]
Apart from funds and donations granted by government bodies and big corporations, soon after the heroic Robbi Sapinggi [73] [74] was identified as one of the first two victims on the very first day of the earthquake, [75] Robbi's employer, Amazing Borneo, started a crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo [76] [77] to let people donate to his family especially his newlywed wife and six-month-old son. Many people responded to the campaign to honour his sacrifice and act of bravery. [78]
The Taiwanese Tzu Chi Foundation in Malaysia through its volunteers in Kota Kinabalu conducted a survey to the earthquake site on 6 June for a disaster survey and visiting currently warded victims in local hospital to providing support with the volunteers also accompanied family members of seven victims and handed out cash relief to each of the family. [79]
On 5 June 2016, a monument in the form of brass plaque etched with the names of the 18 victims was erected near the base of Mount Kinabalu. [87] [88]
The geography of Malaysia includes both the physical and the human geography of Malaysia, a Southeast Asian country made up of two major landmasses separated by water—Peninsular Malaysia to the west and East Malaysia to the east—and numerous smaller islands that surround those landmasses. Peninsular Malaysia is on the southernmost part of the Malay Peninsula, south of Thailand, north of Singapore and east of the Indonesian island of Sumatra; East Malaysia comprises most of the northern part of Borneo, and shares land borders with Brunei to the north and Indonesian Borneo to the south.
Mount Kinabalu is the highest mountain in Borneo and Malaysia. With an elevation of 4,095 metres (13,435 ft), it is the third-highest peak of an island on Earth, the 28th highest peak in Southeast Asia, and 20th most prominent mountain in the world. The mountain is located in Ranau district, West Coast Division of Sabah, Malaysia. It is protected as Kinabalu Park, a World Heritage Site.
Kota Kinabalu, colloquially referred to as KK, is the state capital of Sabah, Malaysia. It is also the capital of the Kota Kinabalu District as well as the West Coast Division of Sabah. The city is located on the northwest coast of Borneo facing the South China Sea. The Tunku Abdul Rahman National Park lies to its west and Mount Kinabalu, which gave the city its name, is located to its east. Kota Kinabalu has a population of 452,058 according to the 2010 census; when the adjacent Penampang and Tuaran districts are included, the metro area has a combined population of 628,725. The 2020 Census revealed an increase in the municipal population to 500,421, while the wider area including the Penampang and Putatan districts had a population of 731,406.
Kinabalu Park, established as one of the first national parks of Malaysia in 1964, is Malaysia's first World Heritage Site designated by UNESCO in December 2000 for its "outstanding universal values" and the role as one of the most important biological sites in the world with more than 4,500 species of flora and fauna, including 326 bird and around 100 mammal species, and over 110 land snail species.
The Sandakan Death Marches were a series of forced marches in Borneo from Sandakan to Ranau which resulted in the deaths of 2,434 Allied prisoners of war held captive by the Empire of Japan during the Pacific campaign of World War II at the Sandakan POW Camp, North Borneo. By the end of the war, of all the prisoners who had been incarcerated at Sandakan and Ranau, only six Australians survived, all of whom had escaped. It is widely considered to be the single worst atrocity suffered by Australian servicemen during the Second World War.
The Ranau District is an administrative district in the Malaysian state of Sabah, part of the West Coast Division which includes the districts of Kota Belud, Kota Kinabalu, Papar, Penampang, Putatan, Ranau and Tuaran.
West Coast Division is an administrative division of Sabah, Malaysia. It occupies the northwest portion of Sabah. With an area of 7,588 square kilometres, it occupies 10.3% of Sabah's territory. It also has approximately 30% of Sabah's total population, with the main indigenous inhabitants comprising the Bajau, Bisaya, Bruneian Malay, Dusun, Illanun, Kadazan and Kedayan, as well with a significant numbers of Chinese. The division is divided into the districts of Ranau, Kota Belud, Tuaran, Penampang, Papar, and the state capital Kota Kinabalu. The main towns are as in the names of the districts, plus other towns including Putatan, Inanam, Telipok, Tamparuli, Tenghilan and Kinarut.
Mount Tambuyukon or Tamboyukon is a mountain located at the West Coast and Kudat divisions of Sabah, Malaysia. It is considered the third-highest mountain in the country with height at 2,579 metres (8,461 ft), lying north of the highest Mount Kinabalu.
Kundasang is a hill station and town in the district of Ranau in Sabah, Malaysia that lies along the bank of Kundasang Valley within the Crocker Range, and also neighbouring the town of Nabalu. It is located about 6 kilometres away from Kinabalu National Park, 15.6 kilometres from Ranau town and is renowned for its vegetable market which is open seven days a week. It is the closest town to Mount Kinabalu and has a panoramic view of the mountain. It is populated mainly by the native Dusun and a small population of Chinese people. Almost all the shops are operated by locals.
Nepenthes macrovulgaris, or the serpentine pitcher-plant, is a tropical pitcher plant endemic to Borneo. It is a lowland plant that typically grows at altitudes ranging from 300 to 1200 m in sub-montane forest clearings and mossy forest. Its range is restricted to ultramafic habitats, including Mount Kinabalu, Mount Tambuyukon, the Danum Valley, the Tawai Range, the Meliau Range and Mount Silam, all in Sabah, Malaysian Borneo. Pitchers grow to around 25 cm high and range in colour from green to brown, with the speckled form being the most common.
Nepenthes stenophylla, or the narrow-leaved pitcher-plant, is a tropical pitcher plant endemic to Borneo and occurs at elevations of 900–2,100 m (3,000–7,000 ft). The species produces attractive funnel-shaped pitchers up to 25 cm high. It is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Nepenthes stenophylla belongs to the loosely defined "N. maxima complex", which also includes, among other species, N. boschiana, N. chaniana, N. epiphytica, N. eymae, N. faizaliana, N. fusca, N. klossii, N. maxima, N. platychila, and N. vogelii.
The Crocker Mountains form a range that separates the West Coast and Interior divisions of Sabah, Malaysia. At an average height of 1,800 metres (5,906 ft), it is the highest mountain range in the state. It is named after a 19th century British administrator of North Borneo, William Maunder Crocker.
Poring is a small tourist resort in Sabah, Malaysia. Located 40 km south-east of the Kinabalu National Park Headquarters, in the district of Ranau, Poring is situated in lowland rainforest, contrasting with the montane and submontane rainforest of Kinabalu National Park. The name Poring comes from a Kadazandusun word for a bamboo species found in the area.
Tourism in Malaysia is a major industry and contributor to the Malaysian economy. Malaysia was once ranked 9th in the world for tourist arrivals. In 2017, the Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report ranked Malaysia 26 out of 141 countries using its Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Index (TTCI) which measures the various components and policies of a country that are in place to allow for the sustainable development of its travel and tourism sectors.
Mount Pueh, also known as Mount Pueh-Berumput, Mount Poi and Mount Poe, is a mountain located near Lundu, Sarawak on the Malaysia-Indonesia border. Mount Pueh was known to biologists for the collections made there by Eric Mjöberg (1882–1938), a Swedish naturalist, who was Curator of the Sarawak Museum between 1922 and 1924. Mjöberg's herpetological collections from Gunung Pueh between October and December 1923, and other localities in Borneo, were reported by Smith (1925). Mjöberg, unfortunately, left little by way of written records, of his ascent of Pueh and the collections he made.
Federal Route 22, Asian Highway Route AH150, is a 310-kilometre (193 mi) federal highway in Sabah, Malaysia, which is also a component of the larger Pan Borneo Highway network. It starts from Tamparuli and ends at Sandakan. The section running from Tamparuli to Ranau, which is known as Tamparuli-Ranau Highway, crosses the Crocker Range just to the south of Mount Kinabalu.
The Borneo thrush, also known as the mountain blackbird or locally in Dusun as Luhui tana, is a bird in the thrush family. It is a subspecies of the island thrush endemic to the island of Borneo.
The Sugut River is a river located in the northeastern part of Sabah, Malaysia, between the tripoint of the West Coast, Sandakan as well as a portion of the Kudat division. It has a total length of 178 km from its headwaters in the mountains of northwest Sabah to its outlet at the Sulu Sea, northeastern of Beluran town. Its source is originated from the mountains in the eastern slopes of Mount Kinabalu National Park in Ranau District, which part of the Mount Kinabalu system.
Abdul Ghani bin Gilong was a Malaysian politician. He was a federal cabinet minister in various portfolios from 1968 to 1978.
Japanese male Ozaki Masahiro (29) who died on the earthquake at Mount Kinabalu (4095m) on Borneo, Malaysia, helped Singaporean elementary school students who were about to suffer from falling rocks.