Potential slope erosion at Mount Kinabalu due to continuous rain

Continuous rain would potentially erode the slopes of Mt Kinabalu, according to the Sabah Minerals and Geoscience Department.

The department's Mineral Resource Unit chief Jontih Enggihon said the erosion would also result in an avalanche of rocks, soil and other debris such as wood, down the valley, ravine and river below.

"The erosion will form a mud flow that will bring thousands of tonnes of soil and rocks which will inundate the riverbed and riverbank as what happened to Sungai Liwagu and Sungai Mesilou," he told Bernama when contacted here on Thursday.

He said the situation, in the aftermath of the earthquake which had disturbed the topography of the area, posed a grave risk for the residents.

Nevertheless, the district disaster committee together with relevant agencies had taken precautionary measures by evacuating the residents, he said.

On Wednesday, the Meteorological Department stated in its forecast that Sabah would have continual rainfall throughout the fasting month (Ramadan) which might potentially cause landslides and flash floods.

It said the daily mean temperature in Sabah throughout Ramadan would be between 31 and 33 degrees Celsius with a rainfall distribution of between 200 and 300 millimetres.