PETALING JAYA: The body of a 10-year-old girl recovered on Monday night pushed the death toll in Sabah to 13 in a series of landslides and floods that has torn families part.
Her remains were found at 8.45pm in Kampung Marahang Tuntul, Papar, after more than 10 hours of digging through mud and timber. Sabah Fire and Rescue Department director Mohd Pisar Aziz said the operation ended at 2.05am yesterday.
Hours earlier, rescuers unearthed the girl’s 34-year-old mother, buried in the soil, still clutching her six-year-old son in her arms. Both were confirmed dead minutes apart, after their home collapsed under the weight of the sliding earth at 9.20am on Monday.
“All victims were extricated by the fire and rescue team with assistance from other units. Their bodies were handed to the police for further action,” Mohd Pisar said.
The Papar tragedy is among the worst, but far from the only one. In Kampung Mook, Kinarut, 36-year-old Edna Johnny is living with survivor’s guilt. Her sister and 11-year-old nephew died when their wooden home was swallowed by a landslide.
“My sister’s house was the worst hit. I thought I heard her voice calling, but by the time we got outside, there was nothing we could do.”
Edna and her husband jumped out of a window with their two young children when a deafening crash “like a giant tree smashing a zinc roof” shook the ground.
Her brother-in-law’s cries for help, caught on video as he tried to dig through the mud with an excavator, have been widely circulated online, providing a glimpse into the agony faced by survivors forced to watch as loved ones were buried alive. Both victims were eventually pulled out but could not be saved.
Kampung Cenderakasih in Kota Kinabalu was hit even harder. Eleven people were trapped when a house collapsed at 9.15am. Seven did not make it out, including four children aged two to nine.
“I thought I heard my aunt calling my name, but I could not be sure. The rain was pouring hard and the voice was muffled,” said Muhamad Azri Mikri, 25, as he recalled the haunting moment.
Elsewhere in Kepayan, Molly Antutu, 42, described how she and her 14-year-old daughter survived by clinging to each other as their home gave way.
“In that moment of chaos, I could only think of death. I told my daughter, ‘Let us die together, holding each other,’” she said. Both were injured but managed to escape.
The Sabah Disaster Management Committee announced RM10,000 in aid for the next of kin of each victim, while evacuees would receive RM1,000 per household.
The crisis has stretched beyond the state. Floodwaters have forced hundreds into shelters in Perak, Selangor and Negeri Sembilan.
In Muallim, Perak, 397 victims from 91 families are in five centres as the water level in Sungai Slim exceeded the danger mark.
In Selangor, 146 people from 44 families are in shelters in Hulu Langat and Hulu Selangor, while in Port Dickson, Negeri Sembilan, 74 evacuees from 20 families are housed at Sekolah Kebangsaan Jimah Lama.
The Meteorological Department has warned of more storms and heavy rain in several Perak districts, including Larut, Matang and Selama, Kinta, Hulu Perak, Kuala Kangsar and Batang Padang, raising fears that the death toll could continue to climb.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has approved an immediate RM10 million allocation through the National Disaster Management Agency for relief and recovery. Sabah has also cancelled its Malaysia Day celebrations, saying focus must remain on saving lives and supporting those left behind.
