KOTA KINABALU: A woman and her teenage daughter survived after a landslide crushed their home in Kampung Kopungit, Kepayan in Sabah, late on Saturday (Sept 13) night.
The incident occurred at about 8.45pm when the house shook violently after a loud thud, before sliding downwards and collapsing entirely. Molly Antutu, 42, recalled the terrifying moment as she clutched her 14-year-old daughter, Syamimi, thinking it would be their last.
“In that moment of chaos, I could only think of death. I told my daughter, ‘Let us die together, holding each other,'” she said.
Within seconds, sheets of zinc roofing crashed down on them, pinning them briefly before sliding off and creating a narrow escape route. The pair managed to crawl out, aided by neighbours who rushed to help before alerting the authorities. Molly sustained minor injuries to her right leg while her daughter was unharmed.
Captain (PA) Aizex Junior of the Kota Kinabalu Malaysian Civil Defence Force (APM) said the distress call was received at 9.15pm, and a five-member team arrived at the site about 20 minutes later.
“Upon arrival, our team found that the house had been completely destroyed by a landslide measuring some 15m wide and 25m high. Both residents survived and were immediately checked for injuries,” he said.
An aerial view of thelandslide covering part of the slope along Jalan Donggongon–Papar Spurs, cutting off access between Papar and Kota Kinabalu.
Two other landslides were also detected in the vicinity, prompting APM teams to continue monitoring the area for the safety of nearby residents.
The tragedy unfolded against the backdrop of widespread floods and landslides across Sabah following days of heavy rain. As of 8am Sunday (Sept 14), APM reported that the number of flood victims remained at 459 people from 136 families from 23 villages, and were currently put up at temporary evacuation centres across Beaufort, Penampang and Tawau.
Penampang recorded the highest number of evacuees with 247 people from 74 families, followed by Beaufort with 153 people from 51 families, and Tawau with 59 people from 11 families.
Five temporary evacuation centres are now operating, with three located in Penampang at the district sports complex, SK St Paul Kolopis and Huguan Siou Hall, and one each at PPK Selagon in Beaufort and Masjid Al-Aman in Tawau.
A patrol police checking on the landslide that covered part of the slope along Jalan Donggongon–Papar Spurs, cutting off access between Papar and Kota Kinabalu.
The disaster has already claimed one life. A 97-year-old man from Kampung Sarapung, Kolopis in Penampang was killed when his home was struck by a landslide, while a woman, who also lives in the house, was pulled out alive with minor injuries.
Firefighters trekked nearly three kilometres on foot before they could even begin search operations. With access to heavy machinery impossible, they were forced to rely on shovels, chainsaws and hand tools to cut through fallen timber and dig through thick mud. The victim was eventually discovered at about 10.30am on Friday, two days after the incident.
It took several more minutes of painstaking effort to free the body from the debris. His remains were then carried almost a kilometre by a team of firefighters, police personnel and villagers before being brought to safety.
Meanwhile, authorities disclosed that part of the slope along Jalan Donggongon–Papar Spur had collapsed, cutting off access between Papar and Kota Kinabalu. With rain expected to continue, monitoring and safety operations remain ongoing across the state.
