Ranau minor quake no cause for worry in Brunei: expert

A LANDFORM expert at Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD) yesterday said the reported minor earthquake in neighbouring Ranau, Sabah on Sunday was no cause for worry among Bruneians.

But while Brunei's location renders it safe from the tremors of earthquakes, there is no harm in ensuring that structures are built to withstand a moderate quake, said Dr John Onu Odihi, an environmental hazards lecturer at UBD.

Brunei is not located in the zone of frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions that encircle the basin of the Pacific Ocean, known as the "Pacific Ring of Fire", he said in an interview with The Brunei Times.

"So, I think there's no real reason to panic because the zone here should not experience earthquakes," said Dr Odihi, who is also an expert in geomorphology, the scientific study of landforms and the processes that shape them.

However, the evidence of such minor tremor which occurred in Brunei's neighbour shows that no place on earth would have zero probability of earthquakes, he said.

"So, people here need to be aware of what happened to our neighbour, it can also affect us," he said.

He said the public should be well-equipped with information on what to do in the event of natural disasters, such as an earthquake and this could be done through education.

Policymakers in the region should also give serious thought to planning constructions, he added.

"Whatever we want to construct whether they are houses, shelters, bridges, these should withstand at least a moderate earthquake," he said, adding that poor construction could cause greater damage that lead to fatalities and harm the economy of an area or country.

Brunei has no problem with poor construction as buildings here have stable foundations and are made of concrete, he noted. But other countries in the region still use low quality construction materials.

A recent Bernama story reported last year that the Island of Borneo was free from potential earthquakes. Brunei in particular is located on the north coast of the island of Borneo, rendering it safe from tremors.



The Brunei Times