KOTA KINABALU, June 5 — After being stranded since 7.15am, 10 tourists climbing Sabah’s highest mountain have been rendered unconscious at the site of the Via Ferrata obstacle route here.
The latest updates from search-and-rescue operations claim the 10 are suffering from hypothermia and are unconscious while a mountain guide has been pinned underneath fallen rocks.
“Two mountain torq (the company managing the Via Ferrata) staff are also injured at the spot,” said a Sabah Parks official.
They are part of the 136 still stranded at the mountain summit plateau with no shelter after the earthquake hit this morning.
It is believed that most are stranded between Km7.5 and Km8 at the mountain’s summit.
Search and rescue operations consisting mountain guides, fire and rescue services department, local porters and Sabah Parks’ staff are on the mountain trying to help the climbers get back to safety.
Helicopter rescues are being hampered by bad weather and climbers have no other option of getting down other than to wait.
One climber who managed to make it down said that there were at least one other climbing with serious injury.
Gan Hock Lee, said that he saw at least two lifeless bodies, one male and one female, and an injured female with a broken leg.
The man from Kuala Lumpur who reached the base on foot at about 3.30pm said that he saw some rocks falling and ran for cover along the ridge of Laban Rata.
“A lot of people are still stuck at the summit. They’ve been there since 7.15am. Why is it taking so long? It is dangerous for them to remain up there,” he said.
