Kuala Lumpur, February 23: A powerful earthquake measuring 7.0 on the Richter scale struck the South China Sea late Sunday night. The tremor occurred at 10:27:46 PM Indian Standard Time.
According to reports, the epicenter of the earthquake was located at 6.86 degrees north latitude and 116.25 degrees east longitude. The quake struck at a depth of approximately 625 kilometers, categorizing it as a deep-focus earthquake.
Experts indicate that earthquakes occurring at such depths typically cause relatively less damage at the surface, although the tremors can be felt over a wide area.
The U.S. Geological Survey reported that the earthquake’s epicenter was about 100 kilometers (62 miles) away from Kota Kinabalu, the coastal state capital of Malaysia.
Earlier, on February 19, tremors were felt in two different parts of the world, including a 4.3 magnitude earthquake in Tibet at a depth of 130 kilometers. Additionally, a 5.5 magnitude earthquake struck southern Iran.
According to the National Center for Seismology (NCS), the earthquake in Tibet was felt at 10:10 AM, with coordinates of 33.57 degrees north latitude and 81.86 degrees east longitude.
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) released a separate reading indicating the earthquake in Iran had a magnitude of 4.4. However, officials have not yet provided any data regarding the intensity of the Iranian quake.
The German Research Center for Geosciences (GFZ) confirmed that the earthquake in southern Iran measured 5.5 in magnitude and occurred at a depth of 10 kilometers (6.21 miles).
