KOTA KINABALU, Sept 15 — Seven people, including four children, were killed after a landslide buried a house in Kampung Cenderakasih, Kolombong, near here at around 9.15am today.
Kota Kinabalu police chief ACP Kasim Muda said the final two victims, a 24-year-old woman and her nine-year-old child, were located in the afternoon, following an earlier report by the Sabah Fire and Rescue Department that five bodies had been recovered.
The victims comprised three boys and one girl, aged between two and nine, along with two women and one man aged between 25 and 50. Four men had survived the incident, one of whom sustained a broken leg.
Kasim said the victims were found between 12.30pm and 3.45pm, after which the search and rescue operation was called off.
“The victims were part of a household of nine, while two others, also family members, were staying over at the time,” he told reporters at the scene.
He said all seven victims were pronounced dead at the scene by medical personnel and their remains were taken to Queen Elizabeth Hospital for further action.
Kasim added that rescuers encountered challenges in retrieving the bodies, as they were buried under debris estimated to be between two to three metres deep, along with fallen trees and rubbish.
“We had to use an excavator to clear the debris before manually extracting the victims,” he said.
He confirmed that the incident occurred on private land and authorities have since ordered residents in the area to evacuate immediately to prevent further incidents. — Bernama
