Magnitude 3.5 quake shakes Lahad Datu, 3rd in three weeks

KOTA KINABALU - A weak earthquake measuring 3.5 on the Richter scale struck Lahad Datu at 8.43am, according to the Malaysian Meteorological Department.

This was the third earthquake that has struck in the district in less than three weeks.

In a statement posted on its website, the department said the quake's epicentre was traced to a location about 35km southeast of the district at 4.9 degrees north and 118.6 degrees east at a depth of 25km.

The first earthquake in the district was on Feb 16 at a magnitude of 3.2 followed with another on Mar 1 at 3.5 on the Richter scale.

On June 5 last year, 18 people were killed in an earthquake that struck below Mount Kinabalu in Kundasang, Ranau at a magnitude of 6.0 on the Richter scale.