3.5-magnitude quake strikes off Batu Pahat waters in Johor

PETALING JAYA, Selangor – A 3.5-magnitude tremor was recorded off the waters of Batu Pahat in Johor at 9.04am on Sept 27.

According to the Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia), the tremor originated about 25km south-east of Batu Pahat.

Batu Pahat is about 120km north of Singapore.

“The epicentre of the tremor was at 1.7 deg north and 103.1 deg east, at a depth of 10km.

“Tremors may have been felt in areas around Batu Pahat. The department will continue to monitor the situation,” it said in a statement on Sept 27.

This comes after a series of earthquakes that struck Johor in August.

The first, which had a magnitude of

4.1

, struck Johor on Aug 24. It occurred at a depth of 10km and its epicentre was 5km west of Segamat, according to MetMalaysia. Tremors were also felt across several states, including Negeri Sembilan and Melaka.

Segamat is about 180km from Singapore.

Johor, Malaysia’s southernmost state, has experienced at least eight more tremors since, ranging between 2.5 and 3.5 in magnitude, with the sixth, on Aug 30, causing

minor damage to some government buildings

.

Experts said that the Johor quakes were most

likely caused by stress release

along a minor fault within the Sunda plate.

The Sunda plate is a tectonic plate located in South-east Asia. It comprises Cambodia, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, Indonesia and parts of the South China Sea and Andaman Sea.

A Malaysian expert said that

aftershocks may continue

until all the energy along the fault line is fully released. THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK