Sabah quake: Eight Singapore pupils, two teachers missing

SINGAPORE: Eight students and two teachers from Tanjong Katong Primary School are still unaccounted for after a 6.1-magnitude earthquake struck Mount Kinabalu, Sabah in Malaysia on Friday.

In a statement Friday evening, the Ministry of Education (MOE) said 21 students and six teachers from Fuchun and Greenridge secondary schools have been accounted for. 

Singapore's Foreign Affairs Ministry (MFA) and International SOS are rendering assistance for their safe return to Singapore.

The students and teachers from the three schools are in Mount Kinabalu on an overseas learning journey.

The Ministry said it is continuing its efforts to contact the parties and parents have been informed and kept updated on the situation.

The MFA has also despatched a Crisis Response Team to Sabah on Friday afternoon to provide consular assistance to Singaporeans.

The MFA added that Singapore's High Commissioner in Kuala Lumpur has contacted his counterparts in the Malaysian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and conveyed Singapore's message of support and offer of assistance.

Channel News Asia reported anxious parents were seen rushing into the school for a meeting with teachers on Friday afternoon.

One woman said her daughter was injured and was "on the way to hospital".

James Ho, a parent of one of the students, told CNA that his 12-year-old daughter, Rachel was one of eight students stranded at the Via Ferrata route on Mount Kinabalu.

He said he had received no news on their well-being.

"This happened in the morning and it's been more than 12 hours...and the frustrating thing is, we are not getting any updates on the rescue operations," he was quoted as saying.

Another 19 students from the school had returned to safety, said Ho, adding that five of them and a teacher sustained minor injuries.

Sadri Farick, whose child sustained leg injuries after the quake also expressed frustration at the lack of information.

In a statement, CNA said the ministry of education confirmed that 10 people from Tanjong Katong Primary School had yet to be accounted for. The Straits Times/Asia News Network