A TREMOR struck just when a group of friends were having a barbecue in Kundasang, Ranau, a week ago. All stood still and looked at their surroundings after hearing the booming sound just before the earth shook for about two to three seconds around sunset.
It is becoming a common reaction among many in the district, where the epicentre of the first quake on June 5, which measured 5.9 on the Richter scale, was traced.
One man’s instinctive reaction, however, caught the attention of all and made them laugh.
The part-time chef had picked up the skewers with the chicken wings and said: “It would be a waste if the charcoal pit fell.”
More than 100 aftershocks have been recorded since the earthquake hit and killed 18 people on Mount Kinabalu, and people are getting used to the tremors.
The first few tremors saw many fleeing buildings or running
into open spaces. Some journalists even went to sleep fully dressed during the first week after the earthquakes, in the event of another temblor. Now, they give it a wait.
Some of the earlier aftershocks were strong enough to wake people up in Kota Kinabalu, more than 100km away, but most are hardly felt.
In the past, such tremors would have made the front page of local newspapers. Not any more, as people are getting used to living with the aftershocks.
Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) geologist Professor Dr Felix Tongkul said more than 50,000 tremors, with a magnitude of less than 4 on the Richter scale, were recorded worldwide every year.
He said such tremors were common in countries such as Japan, Taiwan, Indonesia and the Philippines, adding that such aftershocks were not strong enough to damage infrastructure.
Change is inevitable. It is becoming a part of life in Sabah, especially in the interior district of Ranau where Mount Kinabalu sits majestically, adorned and revered by many, especially those who live in the foothills.
Even the subject of geology is becoming more popular.
UMS yesterday held a special lecture on earthquakes featuring experts on earthquake-related topics, such as infrastructural engineering, water quality and post-quake videos.
Professor Tongkul was one of those who spoke to a full house at the Natural Disaster Research Centre Recital Hall.
Soon, insurance documents would need to add the word “earthquake”, if it is not already there.
New buildings, roads and bridges will need to be built with earthquake-resistant features, evacuation procedures need to be reviewed, especially in schools and buildings with many occupants.
But the biggest change would probably be for those who live in the foothills of Mount Kinabalu.
Already new landscapes have formed after the mountain rumbled, followed by mudslides that swept away almost everything in its path.
Four weeks after the earthquake, reality is sinking in for the mountain guides and vegetable farmers, whose lives took a drastic turn following the tragedy.
Many have come to their aid, but these resilient people have decided to grit their teeth and face their fate as the foothills of Mount Kinabalu are their home.