Sabah hopes that quake-hit Mount Kinabalu – which has been closed off since June 5 — would re-open by September.
State Tourism, Culture and Environment minister Datuk Masidi Manjun said restoration work must be completed before visitors are allowed to scale the mountain once more, The Star Online reports.
“However, we will reduce the number of climbers by half compared to previously (from about 192 to 90 per trip), as the safety of climbers is of utmost priority,” the portal quoted him as saying, adding that authorities do not intend to take any kind of risk.
“Restoration work on the climbing routes, with the aid of technical expertise, is continuing and we hope it would be ready by early September. The aftershocks continue to occur and, up to yesterday, 91 aftershocks have been recorded,” he was quoted further.
Eighteen people died in the magnitude 5.9 earthquake which affected several parts of Sabah.
