Meteor? Mysterious light shooting across Sabah sky

KOTA MARUDU - A mysterious bright light shooting across the Sabah sky late Monday night, has caught everyone by surprise as they wondered if the sight could have been a meteor shower.

The incident at about 11.30pm was followed by a loud explosion, which could be heard across several districts namely Kota Belud, Kota Marudu, Pitas, Ranau, Tuaran and Kota Kinabalu.

Many witnessed the event and pictures of the bright light shooting down from the sky towards the earth, has been widely shared on social media.

Lojumin Galapan, 52, when contacted by NSTP, said he was amazed when he saw the bright light shooting across the sky before it gradually disappear.

 The secondary school teacher said he was resting on the veranda at his home and feeding his dog at Kampung Marak-Parak in Kota Marudu when the light emerged in the sky just above his house.

“It disappeared immediately. Not sure whether it shot towards the ground or otherwise but there was a loud explosion, a thunder-like sound. There was no rain or lightning.

“The sound echoed for about five to eight seconds,” he said.

Lojumin said the light seemed to have travelled from the direction of west towards east.

He added that his family and neighbours were equally astounded and could not stop staring at the sky. He added that despite the spectacle, all as calm.

A resident in Tuaran, Hashim Taitun, 33, said he was also at his home when he heard two explosions, followed by tremors which lasted a few seconds.

“The house shook. I stepped out, so did my neighbours but apart from the thundering sound, nothing else happened,” he said.

Yong Ted Phen, 49, from Kota Kinabalu said he thought it was thunderstorm but the weather was fine.

“Some netizens said the meteor fell in the Tuaran area,” he said.

The Sabah Fire and Rescue Department had said that it did not receive any emergency calls with regards to the mysterious light.

Checks with the Sabah Meteorological Department pointed to the possibility of a shooting star or meteor shower.

Its director Azemi Daud said, however, the department was not able to pinpoint the location of the incident.

“The explosion may have been caused by the meteor,” he said, adding that meteors often explode once they hit Earth’s atmosphere.

The incident went viral with some netizens linking it to possible military exercise at Paradise Camp in Kota Belud.

The secondary school teacher said he was resting on the veranda at his home and feeding his dog at Kampung Marak-Parak in Kota Marudu when the light emerged in the sky just above his house.

“It disappeared immediately. Not sure whether it shot towards the ground or otherwise but there was a loud explosion, a thunder-like sound. There was no rain or lightning.

“The sound echoed for about five to eight seconds,” he said.

Lojumin said the light seemed to have travelled from the direction of west towards east.

He added that his family and neighbours were equally astounded and could not stop staring at the sky. He added that despite the spectacle, all as calm.