Clearing the way: Workers clearing a stretch of road in Ranau, Sabah.
KOTA KINABALU: A four-hour downpour triggered a mud flow that damaged fruit stalls in the hilly Ranau district about 120km from here on Thursday.
The heavy rains, which started at about 3pm, also caused two roads to collapse – including one leading to a popular highland resort in Mesilau which is located on the foothills of Mount Kinabalu.
Ranau Fire and Rescue chief Ridwan Mohd Taib said they received a call about the mud flow at about 4pm.
He said at least eight fruit stalls at Kampung Nabutan, off KM137 Jalan Kota Kinabalu-Sandakan, were severely affected.
“The mud flow was triggered by heavy rain that lasted for some four hours from about 3pm,” he said when contacted yesterday.
Ridwan said the road concessionaire was later called in to clear the debris.
He added that the fire department, police and Civil Defence Force were also at the scene to monitor the situation.
“There were no reports of injuries caused by the mud flow.”
Ridwan said the Fire Department and other agencies were closely monitoring the weather situation in Ranau.
He said its Mountain Search and Rescue (Mosar) unit and Sabah Parks were also monitoring the safety situation on Mount Kinabalu after a water surge on the mountaintop caused by a downpour on Sept 12.
Sabah Parks, on its Facebook page, said water from the heavy rain between 5.50am and 7am came gushing down to the Panalaban resting area at KM7.2 near the Sayat-Sayat checkpoint.
A group of people believed to be climbers and their mountain guide were reportedly seen scaling down the mountain while holding onto a rope amid the water surge.
