PRAY
FOR SABAH
The death toll from an
earthquake that trapped scores of climbers on Malaysia's highest peak has risen
to 16 as rescuers searched for two Singaporean climbers still missing.A
magnitude-5.9 earthquake on Friday sent rocks and boulders raining down the
trekking routes on 4,095-metre (13,435-foot) Mount Kinabalu in eastern Sabah
state on Borneo island.Nine of the bodies found on Saturday were flown out by
helicopter, while two were carried down, police said. Five more bodies have now
been recovered.
State tourism minister
Masidi Manjun said the victims were seven Singaporeans, six Malaysians, and a
Filipino, Chinese and Japanese national each. He said a Singaporean student and
teacher were still missing.Singapore today flew flags at half-staff to mourn
the victims, part of a school outing to the mountain. Most of the other
climbers made it down the mountain in the darkness early on Saturday, some with
broken limbs and one in a coma.
About 60 rescuers and four
helicopters were combing the mountain, where loose rocks and boulders that fell
during the quake blocked part of the main route. The quake also damaged roads and buildings,
including schools and a hospital on Sabah's west coast. It also broke one of
the twin rock formations on the mountain known as the Donkey's Ears.The
mountain will be closed for three weeks for maintenance work, and flags will be
flown at half-staff in Sabah on Monday to mourn the victims.
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