KOTA KINABALU: Coastal Sabah faces the possibility of being struck by a tsunami in the event of a massive underwater earthquake or catastrophic seabed erosion, says the Sabah Meteorological Department.
Its director, Azemi Daud, said the state has the potential of being struck by seismic sea waves, based on scientific studies carried out by researchers across the globe.
“The size (of the tsunami) will depend on the depth of the undersea quake. However, there is no way we can forecast when exactly that will take place.
“If we look back at history, the coastal district of Lahad Datu was hit by an earthquake 40 years ago. We can expect (another earthquake in the future), but it’s (not definite),” he told reporters during a tsunami exercise at Dewan Sri Putatan here.
Commenting on claims that Kudat district, about 190km from here, is likely to be hit by a tsunami, Azemi pointed out that an underwater earthquake in the Philippines (Manila Trench) or the massive collapse of a seabed cliff off Brunei may create such a situation.
He also said Putatan, near here, is also among high-risk areas, as the small district is located by the sea.
This morning, about 1,000 Putatan residents from four villages, namely Kampung Contoh, Pasir Putih, Teluk Vila and Sri Pandan took part in a tsunami drill aimed at increasing awareness on the dos and don’ts of dealing with disaster.
Local authorities and enforcement agencies such as the fire and rescue department, the Civil Defence Department, the People’s Volunteer Corps, the armed forces, and the police were also mobilised to assist in evacuation during the mock emergency.
Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Seri Yahya Hussin was also present to monitor the level of preparedness among villagers and governmental departments in responding to tsunami warnings and alerts.
“I am satisfied with the commitment shown by the people, and I hope that they will gain valuable knowledge and put them into practice in an actual situation,” said Yahya.