KOTA KINABALU: Mystery surrounded a loud and booming sound that was followed by tremors that were seen and felt on some Monday night (August 20) in some parts of the west coast of Sabah.

The incident reportedly took place around 11.35 am, causing residents of Kota Belud, Kota Marudu, Tuaran, Sepanggar and Kota Kinabalu to be in turmoil.

Speculation is widespread on social media that the explosive sound was part of a military exercise at Paradise Camp in Kota Belud, while others associated the noise with a bright fireball that shone through the air that same night.

However, Sabah Meteorological Department Director Azemi Daud said it was likely that the explosion was caused by a falling star or meteor shower, although he was unable to determine the location of the incident.

He added that the first reports received by his department showed that there were no earthquakes or thunderstorms in Sabah that could have resulted in the boom.

Meanwhile, according to the non-profit Sabah Stargazers, the mysterious fireball was probably a car that went through the air.

A car is an extremely bright meteor, especially one that explodes into the atmosphere.

"We are lucky because this car / fireball is not as big as the car that hit Russia in 2013.

"We will update more details about the bolide / fireball after we have received more information because there are no reliable sources at the moment," he said in a Facebook account.

Meanwhile police chief Supt Mohd Zaidi Abdullah said that the police did not receive any reports about the incident.

"There was indeed an explosive sound, but there was no indication where it happened and what the cause was," he remarked.