Sabahans abuzz over mystery lights in the sky

KOTA KINABALU: Mysterious lights streaking across in the night sky here Tuesday had Sabahans abuzz in social media, with no one able to give a clear explanation on the incident.

Meteorologists, policemen and firemen were unable to explain the pillar-shaped lights that moved across the sky in the Putatan area, around 9.30pm, for several minutes.

Some netizens said the lights came from lanterns or flares from the Sabah Oil and Gas Terminal in Kimanis. Others claimed alien spaceships were responsible, among a host of other possibilities.

Such lights appearing over the coastal waters of western Sabah are not rare and have been seen from time to time, said some netizens, adding that they believed it was a natural phenomenon.

Some posted studies on similar incidents, where luminous streaks of vertical cigar-shape lights were attributed to reflections caused by ground-based lights on high clouds.

There were also postings on such reflections being caused by big flames originating from oil refineries, according to studies on unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP).

Sabah Meteorological Department director Abdul Malek Tussin, when contacted, said his department did not receive any reports about the lights in the sky.

However, he said they were investigating and ascertaining if it was a natural phenomenon or reflections from other sources.

Police and firemen said they did not receive any reports of the bright lights in the sky while Kota Kinabalu airport air controllers did not spot anything unusual over the city's skies on Tuesday night.