Deadly landslides in Papar claim 12 lives – what we know so far

SHAH ALAM – Torrential rain turned deadly in Sabah on Sept 15 when multiple landslides struck Papar and Kota Kinabalu, destroying homes and claiming lives.

Already battered by days of floods and continuous downpours, the state’s death toll climbed further as rescue teams struggled to respond to simultaneous emergencies.

The worsening weather also forced the cancellation of Sabah’s state-level Malaysia Day celebrations at Padang Merdeka on Tuesday (Sept 16).

Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Haji Noor said the government’s immediate priority was to manage the crisis, coordinate recovery efforts and ensure timely rescue operations. He added that the state disaster management committee had been instructed to remain on full alert as conditions on the ground continue to shift amid heavy rain.

The tragedy in Kampung Marahang Tuntul

On the morning of Sept 15, a landslide buried a home in Kampung Marahang Tuntul, Papar, trapping a mother and her two children.

Firemen and rescuers worked for more than 10 hours in unstable conditions before recovering all three victims.

The 34-year-old mother was found at about 4.20pm, followed minutes later by her six-year-old son.

At 8.45pm, her 10-year-old daughter was located but did not survive. All three were confirmed dead at the scene.

Another blow in Kampung Mook

Barely 40 minutes after the first alert from Marahang Tuntul, another distress call came in at 10.02am, reporting that a landslide had buried three homes in Kampung Mook, some 35 kilometres away.

A nine-member team of firemen, supported by the elite Special Tactical Operation and Rescue Team of Malaysia (STORM) unit, launched a search and rescue operation.

Two victims were recovered after nearly four hours of digging through rubble and household debris.

They were pronounced dead at the site by medical personnel. Their identities had not yet been confirmed at the time.

Wider losses across Sabah

The same morning, tragedy also struck in Kampung Cenderakasih, Kota Kinabalu, where seven people including children, their grandfather and other relatives, were killed when a landslide buried several houses.

Two others were rescued by members of the public.

These incidents, combined with earlier fatalities in Penampang, brought Sabah’s weather-related death toll since Sept 12 to at least 12, including five children.

Government response and relief measures

On Sept 16, Papar MP and Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Minister Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali announced that temporary housing would be arranged for families displaced by the disasters in Kampung Mook and Kampung Marahang Tuntul.

Options include relocation to People’s Housing Programme units or rented homes while damaged houses undergo repairs and safety assessments.

Families are currently being housed in community halls converted into relief centres.

The state disaster management committee has confirmed RM1,000 cash aid for each head of household moved to a centre and RM10,000 compensation for the families of those who died.

Armizan also addressed the collapse of the low-level crossing bridge at Sungai Kaiduan, which gave way on Sept 13 after days of rain.

While villagers still have access via a suspension bridge, technical teams have been deployed and the government has promised a longer-term replacement.

Rescue efforts under strain

The dual operations in Papar stretched local emergency teams to their limits, with Papar Fire and Rescue chief Rozlan acknowledging the challenge of running simultaneous search-and-rescue missions.

Additional resources were put on standby to support ongoing monitoring of high-risk areas.

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, speaking from Doha where he was attending the Extraordinary Arab-Islamic Summit, conveyed condolences to the victims’ families and stressed the urgency of restoring damaged public facilities, including schools, clinics and roads.

What this means for Sabah

The landslides in Papar and Kota Kinabalu underline the extreme vulnerability of Sabah’s communities to severe weather.

Continuous rain, unstable soil conditions and hillside settlements have combined to produce a recurring cycle of disaster.

While immediate relief remains the priority, the tragedies have raised pressing questions about disaster preparedness, slope management and the resilience of critical infrastructure.

For now, grieving families are left to mourn their losses, while authorities face mounting pressure to ensure that recovery efforts deliver not just temporary aid, but lasting safety for communities living in harm’s way.