The aftermath of June 5’s Sabah earthquake can still be felt – literally – across the state. But for locals living in the shadow of Mount Kinabalu, the heartbreak comes as a constant visual reminder, as the mountain, sacred to the Kadazan-Dusun community, seems irrevovably altered.
The Star Online‘s Muguntan Vanar spoke to residents in the area, and by and large they are deeply saddened by how the recent earthquake has affected Mt Kinabalu.
“Macam kena calar (it looks like it’s been clawed),” said Emily Joseph, a resident of Bundu Tuhan near the Kinabalu foothills, referring to the mountain’s deep gashes of dead vegetation, a result of falling rocks and mudslides following the 5.9 magnitude quake.
Locals are also dismayed at the loss of the mountain’s “halo”, or sense of mystique, as the earthquake seems to have left Mt Kinabalu feeling diminished and weakened, at least in their eyes.
One of the landmarks on Mt Kinabalu’s summit, the twin Donkey Ears peaks, was also permanently changed as one of the pinnacles broke off during the earthquake.
The June 5 quake saw the death of 18 climbers and guides on the slopes of Mt Kinabalu, along with the destruction of at least three resthouses along its hiking trails.
On June 12, an aftershock, registering at 5.1 on the richter scale, shook the mountain further.
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