SANDAKAN – A group of climbers heading to the summit of Mount Kinabalu are undeterred by the landslide that occurred at the foot of the mountain around Mesilou, Kundasang, Ranau, this morning, and will continue their ascent as scheduled.
Former journalist Eric Bagang told Scoop that his group of about 32 people had reached Panalaban at the time of the incident, and they did not feel the tremor and did not know of the incident until they saw the viral video of the landslide on social media.
“We did not feel anything. We did not feel the tremor, and we definitely cannot see the landslide from where we are,” he said.
Bagang said the group is proceeding with their planned schedule, which would get them to the summit tomorrow morning.
However, for now, the group is staying alert for announcements and news on their phones, he said.
“So far, we have not received instruction to stop our ascent. So, we are going to proceed. My group consists of young people without children. I think we are fine. Everyone is calm.
“We did receive concerned messages from our families, but we’ve assured them that we are fine,” he said.
Earlier today, it was reported that Sabah Parks director Dr Maklarin Lakim stated that the incident occurred in the Ulu Sg Mesilau area within Kinabalu Park.
He said the landslide occurred far from the mountain-climbing trail, and there were no casualties reported from the incident.
“We are currently monitoring the development of landslides upstream of Sg Mesilau and its impact on river water flow. The situation is currently under control,” he said, as quoted by Daily Express. – June 24, 2024