Sunday, June 7, 2015

Kota Kinabalu Tragedy

     What happened at Mount Kota Kinabalu is indeed a very heart wrecking event. Nineteen lives were taken during the 5.9 magnitude on Friday June 5, 2015. It said that the strong quake struck at a depth of 10km, with its epicentre located 19km from the town of Ranau, and 54km from Kota Kinabalu.  
Apart from the state capital, the tremors were felt in the northern Kudat and Kota Marudu districts, and as far away Beaufort in the south. 

     A full list of 18 deceased victims of the Mount Kinabalu earthquake has been posted in the search and rescue operations room.

      The first two victims brought out from the mountaintop were mountain trainer Robbie Sapinggil, 30, and Singaporean student Peony Wee Ying Ping.

    The largest number of foreigners was from Singapore with one group of 29 Singaporean and international students and eight teachers from Tanjong Katong School on an expedition to Mt Kinabalu. Student Prajesh Dhiman Patel, 12, was listed as being seriously injured.

     Malaysian Mohd Khairuladzuan Abdul Khalid, 39, was earlier included in the list, but was later to have been in the first batch of rescued victims, but his name was not recorded.

The full list of 19 victims is as follows:

Malaysia:
Lim Choon Seong, 45 (male)
Muhammad Logman Abd Karim, 22 (male)
Mohd Khairuladzuan bin Abd, 39 (male)
Valerian Joannes, Mt Torq staff (male)
Ricky Masarin, Mt Torq staff (male)
Joseph Solugin, mountain guide (male)
Robbie Sapinggi, 30, mountain trainer (male, body recovered on Friday)

Singapore:
Rachel Ho Yann Shilin, 12, (female)
Sonia Jhala, 12, (female)
Emilie Giovanna Ramu, 12, (female)
Ameer Ryyan bin Mohd Aded, 12, (male)
Navdeep Singh Jayral s/o Raj Kumar, 13 (male)
Mohammad Ghazi b Mohamed, 35, (male)
Loo Jian Liang Terrence, 29 (male)
Muhammad Daanish b Amran, 22 (male)
Wee Ying Ping Peony, 12 (female, body recovered Friday)

Philippines:
Karyl Mitzi Higuit Matahom, 12, (female)

Japan
Ozaki Masahiro, 29 (male)

China
Lugi, 35 (male)


===============================

      To appease the mountain protector, the 10 western tourists who stripped and urinated on Mount Kinabalu should be fined 10 head of buffalo, according to local customs, says Sabah's chief tribal priest known as Bobolian.
 
     The Bobolian, Tindarama Aman Sirom Simbuna, said on Sunday that the tourists' actions had angered the spirits and guardians of the mountain, which brought about Friday's quake in their rage.

     "According to local beliefs, the spirit of the mountain is very angry," he said.

     He said the victims of this anger were innocent people who had nothing to do with the indecent behaviour of the tourists.

     "The tourists who angered the guardian of the mountain should pay for their mistakes by giving sogit.

     "This fine, called sogit in the native tongue, should be in the form of 10 male or female buffaloes," said Tindarama Aman.

     He also conveyed the condolences of the state's Bobolian community to affected families.

    According to the local beliefs, Mount Kinabalu is the resting place for spirits of the dead before they move on to heaven or hell.

   He said that these roaming spirits came be summoned through Bobolians or Tindarama during rituals called 'menolob'.

    Tindarama Aman also hailed Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Joseph Pairin Kitingan's suggestion for a massive prayer gathering to appease the mountain spirit following the quake that is believed to have left 18 people dead.



source: http://www.thestar.com.my/News/Nation/2015/06/07/Sabah-quake-bobolian/