INANAM: Seven people including four children have died after a landslide buried a house in Kampung Cenderakasih this morning.
The tragedy occurred at approximately 9.15 am in the Kolombong area near Inanam, completely covering the residential structure under debris.
Kota Kinabalu police chief ACP Kasim Muda confirmed the final two victims were located in the afternoon following extensive search operations.
The last recovered victims included a 24-year-old woman and her nine-year-old child, bringing the total death toll to seven individuals.
The victims comprised three boys and one girl aged between two and nine years old, along with two women and one man aged between 25 and 50.
Four men survived the catastrophic incident, with one sustaining a broken leg during the landslide.
Rescue teams located all victims between 12.30 pm and 3.45 pm before concluding the search operation.
The victims formed part of a household of nine people, with two additional family members staying over at the time of the tragedy.
Medical personnel pronounced all seven victims dead at the scene before transferring their remains to Queen Elizabeth Hospital for further procedures.
Rescue operations faced significant challenges due to the depth of the debris covering the victims.
The victims were buried under an estimated two to three metres of debris along with fallen trees and other rubbish.
Rescue teams utilized an excavator to clear the major debris before manually extracting the victims from the wreckage.
Authorities confirmed the incident occurred on private land and have ordered immediate evacuation of area residents to prevent further tragedies.
The police investigation continues while affected families receive necessary support and assistance. – Bernama