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Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Kundasang landslide: Body of Grandma found dead


RANAU - Dohumie Kinte’s body was found this afternoon by a special search and rescue team – the Special Technical Operation Rescue Malaysia (STORM).

The 78-year-old grandmother was buried alive in Tuesday’s landslip in Kg Mesilou, Kundasang while sheltering from a storm at her strawberry farm.

At 12.15pm STORM personnel recovered the body of Dohumie.

A source told Borneo Insider that the body has been taken to the Ranau District Hospital and that an official statement would be made later.

The 21-member STORM team was brought in at 5am to carry out search and rescue operations for the woman.

They were assisted by fire and rescue servicemen, civil defence personnel, police and villagers.

Dohumie is believed to have taken shelter from a downpour in a hut that was hit by tonnes of rock and mud in the landslip.

The landslip was triggered by a heavy rain fall accompanied by winds gusting up to 85km/h on Tuesday morning due to a tropical depression in eastern Philippines.

A search and rescue operation was carried out soon after a report was lodged but it had to be called off at 5.0pm due to bad weather and failing light.

It resumed early this morning.

Dohumie’s daughter-in-law Jaima Undaput alerted the authorities on the mishap after the landslide hit the half-an-acre orchard.

Dohumie was believed to be buried under five to 10 metres deep following the incident.

“There were no other casualties or missing cases reported to us at press time,” the source said, adding that the operation had stopped.

By Linda Peters

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