Four climbers injured and hundreds stranded as earthquake damages roads, cracks walls and shatters windows in Malaysian state of Sabah

Three Britons among tourists stranded on Mount Kinabalu after quake in Malaysian Borneo

Three British climbers are among an estimated 160 people stranded on top of Mount Kinabalu, following a 6.0-magnitude earthquake on the island of Borneo, Malaysia.

Climbers from 16 countries had been on the peak, popular with tourists, including 117 Malaysians, 38 Singaporeans, five Americans, four Dutch, three British, two French and two Australians, according to Mohd Affendy Ramin, the public relations officer for Sabah’s Fire and Rescue department.

Tourists from Belgium, Thailand, the Philippines, Kazakhstan, India, New Zealand, South Korea, Denmark and China are also reported to be on the peak.

State officials were quoted by the New Straits Times saying at least four climbers had suffered injuries including broken bones and head wounds as the quake loosened stones and boulders on the 4,095-metre (13,435-ft) mountain’s wide granite crown.

Authorities have ordered an estimated 200 climbers and at least 40 local guides to remain at the summit due to continuing danger from falling stones and because rockfalls had rendered at least one key descent route impassable.

“Its very tricky now,” Sabah state tourism minister Masidi Manjun told AFP. “We can’t land a helicopter up there because visibility is so bad, but the people can’t come down on their own because the main route is now impassable,” he said.

One person trapped on the peak, Facebook user Charlene Dmp, posted photographs from the mountain showing dozens of climbers awaiting rescue.

“Currently we’re waiting for the helicopter to save us,” she said in a post. “We cannot go down for now because there are lots of stones falling, there’s no safe way down, and there are still tremors. Thank you for all your concern and prayers.”

Later she added: “We’ll come back..please wait for us.”

The force of the tremor was so strong that it snapped off one of the two “Donkey’s Ear” rock outcroppings that form a distinctive part of the peak’s craggy profile, tourism minister for Sabah state Masidi Manjun said on his Twitter feed.

The picturesque mountain, a major tourist draw, has been closed for climbing until further notice.

The US Geological Survey said the quake struck at about 7.15am at a depth of six miles (10km), with its epicentre located about 34 miles east of Kota Kinabalu, capital of Sabah.

No tsunami warning was issued and there were no initial reports of major damage. Colin Forsythe, a resident of Kota Kinabalu, said the quake lasted about 15 seconds and felt “as if a truck had crashed into a brick wall”.

Residents throughout the quake-affected region reportedly fled in panic from homes and buildings, including Kota Kinabalu’s international airport.

Social media users uploaded photos showing damaged roads, shattered storefront windows, cracked walls and floors and rooms strewn with debris flung from shelves. There were no report of any deaths.

Major earthquakes are rare in Malaysia, which lies just outside the Ring of Fire, the belt of seismic activity running around the Pacific basin. Thousands of people complete the relatively easy climb of Mount Kinabalu each year. Malaysia is on a school break and the peak was busy with visitors at the time of the tremor.

Unless those stranded at the top can be brought down, they face a chilly night on a moonscape-like summit frequently lashed with heavy rain and where night temperatures can dip well below freezing.

Most climbers attack the peak early in the morning after overnighting at a resthouse perched at 3,270 metres above sea level. The vast majority spend only a few hours on the peak before heading back down and thus typically do not take food or camping equipment.

Sabah’s state parks director, Jamili Nais, was quoted by the New Straits Times saying the injured would be brought down using helicopters. But other officials later said at least one helicopter had to turn back due to bad weather, and that a team of local guides may try to carry supplies up on foot instead.

Mount Kinabalu is sacred to the local Kadazan Dusun tribal group, who consider it a resting place for departed spirits. A group of 10 apparently western men and women angered locals last weekend when they took nude photos at the summit and uploaded them on to the internet. Some Malaysian social media users said the quake was a sign the spirits had been angered by the act.

Authorities have not yet publicly identified the Caucasian-looking tourists or their suspected nationalities. Media reports said they had already left the country.

