The Untold Story Of The Ranau Quake

By Emin Madi KOTA KINABALU (Sabah, Malaysia), June 26 (Bernama) -- An untold story of rescue during the June 5 earthquake in Ranau, East Malaysian state of Sabah, is about the dedication of a skilled ropesman and rock climber named Mithun Jay Langgin. Mithun’s significant role in the rescue of 137 climbers stranded on Mt Kinabalu was somehow not highlighted in the proper perspective like the deeds of the other rescuers. Sabah Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Masidi Manjun has hailed Mithun as one of the unsung heroes who played a major role in the aftermath of the 5.9-magnitude quake. The earthquake claimed the lives of 18 climbers and left 137 climbers and 'Malim Gunung' (mountain guides) stranded atop the legendary 4,095-metre-high mountain. Masidi said Mithun, a Sabah Parks junior officer, had refused to be in the limelight "but I want to give due credit to him. He is another unsung hero." The minister said he got to know of Mithun’s role after a report on the tragic incident was presented to him by Sabah Parks. Masidi said this was not meant to downplay the role of the mountain guides hailed as the unsung heroes of the tragedy, but merely to point out that there were also others who played a big role in the rescue. In an interview, Mithun, 28, a Dusun from Kinasaraban village at the foot of Mt Kinabalu, admitted that he led the way to find a safe exit route from the Mt Kinabalu rockface to Laban Rata Lodge, a resthouse for climbers. Dusun is the collective name of a tribe or ethnic and linguistic group in the Malaysian state of Sabah. Mithun, a former staff of Mountain Torq, said that during the 7.15 am incident, he was managing the checkpoint at Sayat-Sayat, the highest mountain hut at 3,810 metres. Those of the Mountain Torq team are qualified mountain and rock climbers. The company manages the via ferrata (protected climbing route) at the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Mt Kinabalu in Sabah. “As the mountain started shaking, I saw rocks falling from the Tunku Abdul Rahman Peak (above Sayat-Sayat). I immediately alerted and instructed all the climbers who were at Sayat-Sayat to climb back to the rockface or 7.5-km level, which was clear of any damage. “At the same time, I contacted the Kinabalu Park office (main administrative centre at the foothill) to inform them of our critical situation atop the mountain. "From then on, I was in constant contact with Sabah Parks director Dr Jamili Nais and other senior officers, as well as coordinating with the other agencies involved in the rescue operation,” he told Bernama. He said that after discussing with the other mountain guides, he led the way to find a safe exit route to Laban Rata. “The original mountain trail was hardly visible as rocks and boulders were strewn everywhere. It was an extremely difficult situation but my mountaineering and rappelling skills came in handy. "I found out that at the end, the via ferrata was totally inaccessible as the climbing steps at the 6.5-km level had been completely destroyed. "Just then, I saw mountain guides coming up. They were from the first rescue team, comprising Albert Hamilin, Conan Jinnin and Alfren Minol, coming from Timpohon Gate (the beginning of the summit trail). “I told Conan to fetch ropes at the end of the via ferrata and bring them up to me. After clearing the fallen rocks, I was able to fix the ropes using the ‘double fisherman's knot’ for abseiling. “I also told the guides to make sure that there must be a stop-knot at every 1.5 metre to provide grip for the climbers,” he said. He said that at around 11 am, he was informed that a helicopter would be coming to pick up the stranded climbers who were still congregating at the rockface. “Around 4 pm, there was still no sign of the helicopter, but when it finally showed up, it was unable to land probably because of the thick fog surrounding the summit," he said. After discussing with the mountain guides, Mithun, who joined Sabah Parks in 2014, decided that all climbers would have to descend via the new route he had identified. “I told everybody, especially the Malim Gunung, that we must use whatever we have and, at this stage, guide Christopher Peter Ebi arrived at the rockface with some ropes and I personally tied the safety ropes,” he said. He said the first group of climbers reached Laban Rata Lodge at 10,730 ft just before 7 pm. Mithun said that with the coordinated rescue efforts from those on the ground, including the fire and rescue department, army personnel and search-and-rescue team, all the stranded climbers were able to reach Timpohon Gate around 3 am on June 6. “On the whole, my 24 hours of non-stop dedication during the June 5 earthquake was really a good experience. The Sabah Parks decided to give me a six-day rest to calm myself down,” he said. Prime Minister Najib Razak has announced a US$2.65 million (RM10-million) allocation to the Sabah government for the rehabilitation of Taman Kinabalu (Kinabalu Park). (photoBERNAMA) -- BERNAMA