Quake scare at Ranau school
RANAU: Students and teachers of Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Agama Mohamad Ali here were shocked when the library’s ceiling on the second floor of a building collapsed during one of three weak earthquakes or aftershocks here yesterday.
Ranau Fire and Rescue Department chief Jimmy Lagung said that the incident at the school in Kampung Loha occurred at about 11am, roughly five minutes after the aftershock was felt.
No injuries were reported in the incident, and students and teachers were told to leave the building,” said Jimmy, who inspected the site around noon yesterday.
He said the school did not lodge a report but he and a team of Fire and Rescue officers and personnel came to inspect the school after hearing news of the incident through the social media.
It is learnt that the 3.5 magnitude earthquake about 10.55am and some 22 Km west of Ranau, where tremors were felt.
The school, which began operation in June 2003, has 546 students and 60 teachers.
It is also one of the schools that was affected by the deadly 5.9 earthquake on June 5 which resulted in 18 deaths.
More than 80 aftershocks have occurred in the Kundasang and Ranau area since then.
State Education Department director Datuk Jame Alip, when contacted, said he was on his way to Ranau to assess the damage.
Meanwhile, the Meteorological Department disclosed that a weak earthquake, measuring 3.5 on the Richter scale, hit Ranau in Sabah at 10.54am yesterday.
It said in a statement that the epicentre of the quake was 22km west of Ranau town.