KUALA LUMPUR — (CNN) About 160 climbers were stranded on Mount Kinabalu, one of Southeast Asia’s highest mountains, after a powerful quake hit the area in eastern Borneo.
“They could not come down as the trail has been rendered impassable by falling rocks,” said Masidi Manjun, the tourism minister for the Malaysian state of Sabah.
Helicopters can’t land due to poor weather conditions. So, rescuers are trying to find an alternative way to reach the climbers, Masidi said.
The magnitude-6.0 quake struck early Saturday morning local time, damaging several buildings in the town of Ranau — the epicenter, Malaysia’s official Bernama news agency said.
Videos and social media purportedly taken from the base of the mountain appeared to show large rock slides enveloping the peak after the tremor and people anxiously looking for shelter.
At least four people were injured, including two whose arms were broken by falling rocks, Masidi said. Two instructors are missing, he said.
The Star Online news site reported a doctor who was able to return to base camp confirmed at least one death.
Muhammad Husni Ideris, 22, who has two sisters stranded on the mountain, said he was “thankful” to find out that both, Nurul Husna Ideris, 27, and Nurul Hani Ideris, 29, were safe.
“Two of my sisters were en route from the top, going down this morning when the earthquake hit Sabah,” he told CNN via WhatsApp.
One sent him a message that read: “Earthquake, part of the peak fell off. We are en route from the summit to Laban Rata, the base. Thank God, we are safe. Stuck, cannot further the journey.”
He added, “We are waiting for the helicopter to bring them down. No further news from them since; can’t reach them.”
Muhammad said his two sisters were “amateur climbers with a group and guides.” There’s no word yet on when the helicopter might be sent to help them.
“They are safe, waiting for the rescue,” he says. “They were so calm.”
Many who felt the quake in the Sabah area took to Twitter to share their experiences.
One, who gave her name only as Eliana, said: “I have to say… I’m Colombian, many earthquakes in my life, the one this morning in Kinabalu Park was one of the worse.”
Another Twitter user, Abex, posted that she “felt it very strong” from Kundasang, near to Mount Kinabalu. “Lucky I just finished the trekking last night,” she said.
At 4,095 meters above sea level, Kinabalu is one of the highest mountains in Southeast Asia. The UNESCO-listed Mount Kinabalu National Park is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the state of Sabah, in Malaysian Borneo, with visitors forced to book two to three months in advance to secure one of 196 daily allocated hiking permits.
About 195 registered climbers from 21 countries, excluding guides and park staff, were on the mountain Friday, said Jamili Nais, the park director. Thirty-five have made their way down.
In the group of 195 were five Americans, one Brit and one German.
Jamili didn’t know whether they were among the 35 who are safe.
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