Monument to victims who perished in Sabah earthquake last year

KUNDASANG: Sabah has built a monument in memory of 18 people who perished in an earthquake last year.
The Monument, build of granite stones that came crushing down during the earthquake which killed 18 and injured several others who were climbing Mount Kinabalu, is situated at Kiau Gate, about 1km from the Timpohon Gate, the starting point for climbing Mount Kinabalu.
The Monument which features the date of the tragedy and names of those who perished, was opened by Sabah Tourism, Culture, Heritage and Environment Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun at Taman Kinabalu, here today.
Speaking to reporters after opening the monument, Masidi said the monument was symbolic and reflects the people's sorrow over the tragedy which claimed the lives of many school children from Singapore.
"The monument was built to remember the tragedy at Mount Kinabalu on June 5, 2015 which will remain a sad moment for the people of Sabah.
"This will also serve as a reminder that climbing Mount Kinabalu is not only an exciting experience but the aspects of safety must be continuously upgraded," he said.
On June 5, at about 7.15am, a moderate earthquake measuring 5.9 on the Richter scale struck Ranau.
The epicentre of the earthquake was 16km northwest of Ranau but tremors were felt by the people in districts such as Kundasang, Tambunan, Interior, Tuaran, Kota Kinabalu and Kota Belud.
The earthquake damaged the "Donkey's Ears" iconic peak of Mount Kinabalu and effected damage to property in Ranau.
It was the strongest earthquake ever recorded in Malaysia, surpassing the 5.8 tremblor recorded in Lahad Datu in 1976.
Of the 18 killed in the earthquake, 10 were Singaporeans, among them students and teachers of Tanjong Katong Primary School as well as one travel guide and the rest were mountain guides.
Meanwhile, Masidi thanked about 20 Singaporeans, mainly family members of those who perished in the tragedy, for attending the opening of the monument.
"Their presence here shows the love for their loved ones," he said.
During the opening, Masidi led the group in attendance to observe a minute of silence as a mark of respect for those who perished and later placed a bouquet at the monument.
He said a new trekking route to climb Mount Kinabalu following the Kota Belud ascend was 80% completed and expected to be opened in a month.
"We are also in the process of upgrading the track for the Ranau ascend although climbers can still use the existing track. Our main concern is safety," he said. — Bernama