KUNDASANG, 9 March 2018:
All Mount Kinabalu climbers including workers descended safely from Laban Rata Resthouse early this morning following a moderate earthquake last night.
According to Sabah Civil Defence Force (APM), the rescue operation – which ended at about 4.30am – involved 239 people, including 130 climbers at the resthouse in Panalaban at 3,272m – which is the base for climbers before ascending to the mountain peak at 4,095m.
“Following the earthquake, APM and other rescue agencies mounted rescue operation to assist climbers and workers go down from Laban Rata to Timpohon Gate (starting point),” the statement said.
The statement said there were no casualties reported.
A moderate earthquake measuring 5.2 on the Richter scale hit Ranau at 9.06pm last night.
The operation to bring down the climbers began at about 9.40pm, led by a mountain search and rescue team.
Residents in Kudat, Papar, Kota Marudu, Kota Belud, Ranau, Kota Kinabalu and several other districts took to WhatsApp – informing and asking friends whether they too had felt the tremors.
A teacher in Kota Belud, Saili Sinuk, said when the tremors occurred he was at home.
“I saw the walls of my house shaking, so I ran out. Once outside, I saw my neighbours had also come out from their houses.
“The tremors I felt tonight were almost the same as what I felt in 2015. Only this time it just shook the walls. In 2015, the zinc roof of the house was also affected.”
A resident who lived on the second floor of an apartment in Manggatal, Noor Azlina Awang, a 32-year-old teacher, said she and other residents rushed out of their homes and gathered in the compound of the building after experiencing two strong tremors for five to seven seconds.
Another resident, Zenny Marsus from Tamparuli said all of a sudden she felt dizzy and was surprised when her house suddenly shook for about 10 seconds.
Zenny then checked on social sites including WhatsApp to get information about the tremors.
On 5 June 2015, a 5.9 magnitude earthquake struck Mount Kinabalu at 7.15am, killing 18 people in its wake.
– Bernama