16 deaths confirmed on Mt Kinabalu after quake
Authorities in the East Malaysian state of Sabah say there were 16 confirmed deaths of climbers on Mount Kinabalu following a 6.0 magnitude earthquake which struck before the weekend.
Of the 16 deaths confirmed, six are Malaysians, seven from Singapore, and one each from the Philippines, China and Japan.
The quake sparked heavy landslides with ‘rocks the size of cars’ crashing down the slopes, one climber said.
"Initial investigations show that the worst-hit area was at Via ferrata. There were many boulders that came down there," Masidi Manjun, Sabah tourism minister said.
More than 100 trekkers who survived the landslides were stranded on the mountain for up to 18 hours, before being led down to safety.
Authorities said Mount Kinabalu will likely be closed for the next three weeks while trekking routes are repaired.
Despite a height of more than 13,000 feet, it is a fairly easy climb and is scaled by up to 20,000 people a year.
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Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
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