KOTA MARUDU: Two people were killed when a stretch of a Kota Marudu-Ranau road here collapsed this morning.
The two – a motorcyclist and the pillion rider – tumbled into a ravine and were buried in a landslide.
District police chief Superintendent Mohd Izaan Abdullah said they were alerted to the incident along Jalan Marak Parak at 7.30am by the district Fire and Rescue Department.
"A police team was deployed to the site, where both victims were found (dead)," he said.
As of 10.30am, police have yet to identify the victims.
12.30pm UPDATE
After digging through layers of mud and debris, police here have located and retrieved the bodies of two people who were on a motorcycle when a landslide caused a stretch of the Kota Marudu-Ranau road to collapse.
The motorcyclist has been identified as Jaiman Bien, 39, and his pillion rider has been named as Edmond James, 22.
When the road suddenly collapsed, the two men tumbled into a ravine and were buried under a landslide.
Fourteen firefighters from the Kota Marudu and Ranau Fire and Rescue Departments were despatched to the scene after receiving a distress call at 7.20am.
In a statement, the Sabah Fire and Rescue Headquarters said that firefighters used shovels to dig through the debris to search for the missing duo.
“The first victim was found at 8.31am and the second victim was pulled out at 9.28am. The two bodies have been handed over to the police for the next course of action,” it said.
A red Honda EX5 motorcycle was also retrieved from beneath the mass of earth.
The search and rescue (SAR) operation also involved a team from the Civil Defence Department and the police.
Sabah Civil Defence Department director Colonel Kamal Mokthar said that Kota Marudu has been hit by heavy rain over the last two days.
“The landslide involved a 30m stretch of road. At the moment, vehicles are still able to pass through the stretch via one lane.
“The district Public Works Department and a concession party have inspected the affected area. The concession team has been instructed to put up a warning sign at the site,” he added.