Rescuers have recovered the bodies of 11 more climbers from Malaysia’s highest peak, a day after it was struck by a strong earthquake, bringing the total number of dead to 13.

Six people remained missing on Mount Kinabalu in eastern Sabah state on Borneo on Saturday, where a magnitude-5.9 earthquake on Friday sent rocks and boulders raining down the trekking routes, trapping dozens of climbers.

The death toll has reached 13 with another 20 people injured.



Sabah’s tourism minister, Masidi Manjun, described it as a very sad day for Kinabalu.

Monday has been declared 'day of mourning' in Sabah in memory of those who perished #Kinabalu. State & Federal flag would be flown half mast — Masidi Manjun (@MasidiM) June 6, 2015

Nine of the bodies found Saturday were flown out by helicopter, while the other two were brought down by foot, said district police official Farhan Lee Abdullah.



Most of the other climbers made it down the mountain in the darkness early Saturday, some with broken limbs and one in a coma.

A total of 137 climbers, including several foreigners who had been stranded when the quake first struck on Friday, have safely returned to the park’s headquarters, Manjun said in a tweet on Friday.

Two of the bodies that were recovered from the 4,095m (13,435ft) Mount Kinabalu late on Friday were identified as a 30-year-old local guide and 12-year-old Singaporean student Wee Ying Ping Peony, who was part of a trekking group of 40, police official Farhan Lee Abdullah said.

The nationalities of the 11 dead recovered on Saturday were not immediately clear.



Climbers from 16 countries had been stranded on the mountain, including 117 Malaysians, 38 Singaporeans, five Americans, four Dutch, three British, two French and two Australians, he said. There were also tourists from Belgium, Thailand, the Philippines, Kazakhstan, India, New Zealand, South Korea, Denmark and China.

Twenty of the climbers who made it down the slope have suffered injuries including broken limbs, and one is in a coma, officials said.

The dedication, bravery & deep commitment of #Kinabalu mountain guides are legendary. This photo says it all. pic.twitter.com/iy5Mz8svNd — Masidi Manjun (@MasidiM) June 6, 2015

Farhan said some 60 rescuers and four helicopters had been sent to comb the mountain. Loose rubble that fell during the quake blocked part of the main route, he said.

“We are trying to bring down the nine bodies from the top of the mountain, but it’s a problem because of the thick clouds,” a rescue official told Reuters.

“We are trying to bring them down by helicopters, but the mountain top is still looking cloudy. But even if the weather is still bad, we will try bring them down by whatever other means.”

The US Geological Survey said the epicentre of the quake was about 33 miles from the state capital of Kota Kinabalu. The quake also damaged roads and buildings, including schools and a hospital on Sabah’s west coast.

It also broke one of the landmark twin rock formations on the mountain known as the “donkey’s ears”.