A strong aftershock measuring 5.2 hit Ranau in Sabah of Malaysia early today.

The tremors rattled residents in Kota Kinabalu where some people in highrise buildings ran out of their home, fearing for their safety, reports The Star, a Malaysian English daily.

"I felt tremors in my house at 2:29am. I thought a really big cat was running across the roof," said a Kota Kinabalu resident.

The effect of the latest tremors in Ranau could not be immediately ascertained.

A Ranau resident said his family moved outdoor after tremors and were waiting to see what happened next.

On June 5, a 5.8 magnitude earthquake left 18 people dead in Mount Kinabalu in Ranau.