KUALA LUMPUR (Web Desk) – Rescue operations are under way to reach tourists trapped on one of South East Asia’s highest mountains after a 6.0 magnitude earthquake struck, the BBC reported on Friday.
Media reports said more than 145 people were stranded on Mount Kinabalu in Malaysia’s Sabah state on Borneo.
The Sabah tourism minister said a number of people were injured and that the tremors had caused falling stones and boulders.
All climbing activity on the mountain has been cancelled.
Mt Kinabalu, which stands at 4,095-metre (13,435 feet), is a popular destination for climbers from around the world and within the region.
Sabah Tourism Minister Masidi Manjun said on Twitter there were reports of tourists trapped and injured on the via ferrata climbing route.
Bad news confirmed! part of the iconic ‘Donkey’s Ear’ @Mount Kinabalu is gone due to strong tremor this morning pic.twitter.com/Mhrqr5k1fN
— Masidi Manjun (@MasidiM) June 5, 2015
The force of the tremor, which struck earlier on Friday, was so strong it snapped off one of the two “Donkey Ear” rock formations, he said.
New Straits Times cited Sabah Parks as saying they believed at least 145 were trapped on the mountain including climbers and guides, some of whom are injured.
“There are 105 to 109 estimated including climbers, guides and a Sabah Parks officer trapped but this was not on the dangerous area, so we advised them not to move for fear of falling rocks,” said Sabah Parks Director Dr Jamili Nais.
He said a group of about 40 people were also trapped in another area “where four people suffered injuries such as broken limbs [arm and leg] and head injuries”.
However, the Malaysia Insider said more than 200 foreign and local climbers were stranded, with 89 unaccounted for, citing the Sabah Fire and Rescue Department.
There were no reports of major damage or injuries from the earthquake in other parts of Sabah.
