SANDAKAN: Residents and businesses in part of Sandakan town centre have been evacuated as authorities begin slope stability assessments following a landslide near a hotel early Wednesday (March 11) morning.
Sandakan Municipal Council (MPS) president Walter Kenson, who is also chairman of the Sandakan District Disaster Management Committee, said the affected area around Block 10 along Lebuh 4 had been declared a disaster zone after signs of ground movement were detected behind the buildings.
“We have directed our (MPS) engineering department to work with the Public Works Department and slope specialists to assess hillside stability around the town centre. For the time being, the affected residents are relocated to the Sandakan Community Hall until the assessment is completed,” he said when visiting the site Wednesday.
Kenson also urged residents and building owners living near hillslopes to report any signs of ground movement to the council’s chief engineer for inspection.
Meanwhile, one of the affected residents, Muhammad Aswar, 35, said he is now considering moving out of the building following the incident.
He said the incident has left his family worried about returning to their unit as several large trees still stand behind the building.
“I worry for my wife and daughter, because they are on their own when I go to work. I am actively looking to rent in other places because I don’t think I want to take the risk,” he said.
Another resident, Nurhayati Muhasang, who has lived there for three years, said she heard the sound of a falling tree before residents were asked to leave the building.
“We heard the sound of the tree falling and everyone gathered outside because the police did not allow us to go back inside,” she said.
She said she was relieved that no one else was hurt but hoped residents would eventually be allowed to return once the area is declared safe.
Tanjong Papat assemblyman Alex Thien, who was also present to inspect the situation, said proactive measures were needed to reduce landslide risks, including identifying and cutting down trees that pose a danger.
“This is not a small matter, and it is not something that can be postponed. We already lost one life, we don’t want this incident to repeat,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Sabah state government has approved RM10,000 in cash assistance for the family of the victim killed in the incident.
State Home Affairs and Research Secretary Datuk Awang Shahminan Sahari said Kenson had been instructed to locate the victim’s next of kin so the assistance could be handed over as soon as possible.
The victim was identified as Agustine J. Lingam, 76, who was believed to have been trying to start a generator at the hotel when soil from the surrounding slope collapsed and buried him.
