Geologist: Landslide not a threat but sediment could clog river

KOTA KINABALU: More landslides could occur at Mount Kinabalu but experts believe they are unlikely to cause any serious threat to people.

Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) geologist Prof Dr Felix Tongkul said these landslides, including the latest on the eastern side of the mountain on Saturday, were in remote areas and did not affect human settlements directly.

State Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun said a team of Sabah Parks rangers, who trekked the affected area at Mount Kinabalu yesterday, has declared the zone safe.

The team also reported that the landslide was a minor one, he added.

Prof Dr Tongkul, however, said that residents living close to rivers should remain alert as sediment was being washed down by rain.

Referring to the latest incident, where part of the mountain collapsed due to continuous rain and strong winds, Prof Dr Tongkul said he was quite certain that the collapsed section would eventually end up in Mesilou River.

“The only possible consequence we expect is the creation of an artificial dam upstream of Mesilou River, which will cause another round of debris and mud flows if breached.

“If that happened, houses or structures along the river could be washed away while water supply could be affected, as in the aftermath of the quake two years ago,” he said.

He said a team of experts, including himself, would go to the site next week to assess the situation, and would perhaps work with various agencies to come up with disaster prevention plans.

He said there were also fears that such an occurrence would happen again, as many parts of the mountain were eroded or degraded by the June 5, 2015, earthquake.

The earthquake had loosened the mountain soil, boulders and structure, he added, and the mountain and region around it were still settling.

“We are afraid that prolonged heavy rains would cause more landslides, especially on the steeper sides of the mountain,” Prof Dr Tongkul said.

Sabah Parks director Dr Jamili Nais said on his Facebook that landslides were expected as part of the mountain’s stabilisation process, which would take years.

He added that it was why the Mesilou trail and the Mesilou nature resort were closed after the quake.

Sabah Civil Defence Department acting director LtKol Mohd Izaimi Md Daud said Mesilou River’s flow was normal at the moment.

“However, we are monitoring constantly and will advise villagers to relocate if there is a need,” he said.

Meanwhile, many areas in Sabah – especially Kota Belud, which is located on the western front of Mount Kinabalu – remained submerged in floodwaters.

But weather has improved, with water slowly beginning to recede.