Sabah quake: Water at hot spring turns black

PETALING JAYA: The water at Poring Hot Springs near Friday's 6.1 magnitude earthquake that struck at 7.17am has turned black.

Poring Hot Springs and Nature Reserve office confirmed that the water has changed colour.

"Yes, the water is black. But we don't know why," said an employee.

A picture of the dark coloured water has been making its rounds on social media, sparking worry among residents.

Orang Asal Rights activist Adrian Lasimbang tweeted a photo of the water, saying: "Water at Poring Hot Springs turned black after the 6.0 mag earthquake. Something is churning underneath."

Some commenters attributed the dark water to soil liquefaction - a phenomenon where soil loses its strength and stiffness after an earthquake, causing it to behave like a liquid.

However, calls to experts could not confirm why the change occurred.

Poring Hot Springs is located around 35km away from the earthquake's epicenter near Ranau.