Sabah quake: Timeline of tragedy for Singapore students caught in deadly Mount Kinabalu landslide

On the Friday morning of June 5, rocks cascaded down Mount Kinabalu with a thunderous rumble as a rare 6.0-magnitude earthquake stuck Sabah.

Malaysian authorities believe there are as many as 19 people killed, most caught in the landslide triggered by the quake.

A large number of students from Singapore were there on trekking expeditions, and pupils from Tanjong Katong Primary School were caught in the hail of boulders as they attempted a challenging route on the 4,092m high mountain.

Monday (June 8) was named a day of remembrance in Singapore for the ten victims killed in the earthquake.

The well-wishing site at Tanjong Katong Primary School (TKPS) will continue to be open to members of the public until Thursday (June 11). The opening hours are from 10am to 9pm.

For people who wish to write tribute messages to Mr Muhammad Daanish Amran, the adventure guide who died along with TKPS' seven pupils and two teachers in the Sabah earthquake, they can visit First Toa Payoh Secondary School. A condolence site at his alma mater was set up on Monday and will be opened till Friday (June 12) and next Monday (June 15) between 9am and 6pm.


Faces of the tragedy and their profiles

A boy who was an avid football fan, a girl planning to perform in a ballet recital, a young man with a dream of setting up a tuition centre.

Here are glimpses of those whose lives were cut short by the earthquake.

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Bodies of remaining missing pupil and teacher found

The bodies of the remaining pupil-teacher pair of Navdeep Singh Jaryal s/o Raj Kumar, 13, (left) and Mohammad Ghazi Bin Mohamed, 35, have been found. PHOTOS: TKPSOMEGACHALLENGE1.BLOGSPOT.SG, ST FILE

The bodies of the remaining missing pupil and teacher from Tanjong Katong Primary School have been identified, said the Ministry of Education in a statement on Wednesday (June 10).

"We are saddened to inform that the Malaysian authorities have confirmed that Navdeep Singh Jaryal s/o Raj Kumar and Mohammad Ghazi Bin Mohamed are amongst the persons who perished at Kota Kinabalu," it said.

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Loved ones bid goodbye to Mount Kinabalu victims, as Singapore marks day of national remembrance

Flags at Tanjong Katong Primary School at half-mast. ST PHOTO: CALVIN YANG

The nation shared their grief on the day of national remembrance.

On Monday (June 8), flags were flown at half-mast at government buildings and a minute of silence was observed at the start of the day at SEA Games venues.

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Father of Rachel Ho in emotional video; says she gave his family 12 wonderful years

Rachel Ho's father, Mr James Ho, 45, holds up a medal presented to him by Singapore's national netball team who had visited Rachel's wake on June 8, 2015. 12-year-old Rachel had dreamed of being in the national netball team one day. ST PHOTO: MIRANDA YEO

Rachel Ho is one of Singaporean faces of the Sabah quake tragedy. The 12-year-old died in the earthquake at Mount Kinabalu last Friday that has claimed the lives of six children and a teacher from Tanjong Katong Primary School, and an adventure guide.

Her father James Ho, a 45-year-old banker, told The Straits Times it was comforting to know that the whole nation was behind them.

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Search for missing Singaporeans halted due to heavy fog

Bad weather conditions on Monday (June 8) forced rescue workers to halt their search for two Singaporeans who have been missing on Mount Kinabalu since an earthquake struck Sabah last Friday (June 5).

A police source said the operation had to be put on hold as a heavy fog shrouding the 4,095m high peak would put the rescuers at risk, the New Straits Times reported.

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First Toa Payoh Secondary opens condolence site for Singapore guide Daanish Amran

First Toa Payoh Secondary School has set up a tribute site for adventure guide Muhammad Daanish Amran, who died along with six pupils and a teacher in the Sabah earthquake incident. PHOTO: ARIFFIN SHA

Those who wish to write tribute messages to Mr Muhammad Daanish Amran, the adventure guide who died along with six pupils and a teacher in the Sabah earthquake incident, can visit First Toa Payoh Secondary School.

A condolence site at his alma mater was opened on Monday (June 8) from 9am to 6pm.

It will be opened till Friday (June 12) and next Monday (June 15) between 9am and 6pm.

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Tanjong Katong Primary pupil in 'critical but stable condition' returns to Singapore for treatment

A 11-year old pupil from Tanjong Katong Primary School will return Singapore to continue treatment, Gleneagles Kota Kinabalu Hospital said in a statement on Monday morning.

The hospital in Sabah said that the boy has serious head, chest and muscle injuries, and was in a "critical but stable condition in ICU" until Monday morning.

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First 2 Singaporean victims laid to rest

Tanjong Katong Primary School pupil Ameer Ryyan Mohd Adeed Sanjay and adventure guide Muhammad Daanish Amran were laid to rest on Monday (June 8) morning.

Prayers were said at the Ba'alwie Mosque at Lewis Road for both victims of the Sabah earthquake.

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Heng Swee Keat calls on teaching community to remember and honour victims and survivors

Education Minister Heng Swee Kiat (centre) with Senior Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Education & Ministry of Manpower Hawazi Daipi (left) at KKH on June 8, 2015. ST PHOTO: DESMOND WEE

On Monday, the Day of National Remembrance in the wake of the Sabah earthquake, Education Minister Heng Swee Keat called on the teaching community to remember both those who were lost and those who remain.

"I ask that we, the MOE family, use this day to remember and honour the selflessness of our teachers, the spirit of our students, and the support of our community and friends," he said in an e-mail to public servants in the Ministry of Education.

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Flags flown at half-mast on day of remembrance for victims

The flag at half mast at Parliament House. ST PHOTO: LAU FOOK KONG

Flags were flown at half-mast on Monday morning as Singapore mourned the Sabah earthquake victims.

A minute of silence was also observed at the beginning of the day at all SEA Games venues.

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Parents struggle with how to tell pupils in ward about death toll

Tanjong Katong Primary School pupil Emyr Uzayr in the high-dependency ward of KK Women's and Children's Hospital with his parents. ST PHOTO: LAU FOOK KONG

A group of pupils and parents gathered by the bedside of Tanjong Katong Primary School pupil Emyr Uzayr yesterday at lunchtime.

Minutes later, news broke about the death of their five classmates and teacher. Parents in the ward were grappling with how best to let the young ones know.

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12-year-old Peony Wee 'always looked on bright side'

Peony's father Mr Alson Wee showing a photo montage of Peony. At the lower right corner of the montage is Peony's baby sister. ST PHOTO: ALPHONSUS CHERN

Family members and friends described 12-year-old Peony Wee as a lively, cheerful girl who frequently helped out at her mother's traditional Chinese medicine clinic.

She was a doting sibling to, and a sociable, active girl who played netball and the piano, read widely and loved wanton noodles, said Peony's father Alson Wee.

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Instructor Muhd Daanish Amran was passionate about adventure

Mr Muhammad Daanish Amran, an engineering graduate from Nanyang Polytechnic, would go out of his way to help others, said a friend. PHOTO: SHIN MIN

Camp instructor Muhammad Daanish Amran was a lively, jovial person whom "it was impossible to feel unhappy around", the 22-year-old's friends and family said.

Mr Daanish's friends told The Straits Times that he was always ready with a good joke and enjoyed telling anecdotes about his work and school life.

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Day of National Remembrance in Singapore on June 8

Flowers placed in tribute at a condolence site in the school porch of Tanjong Katong Primary School on 7 June 2015 as the school mourned the deaths of six pupils and one teacher. ST PHOTO: DESMOND WEE

June 8 will be declared a Day of National Remembrance for the victims of the Sabah earthquake.

State flags on all government buildings will be flown at half-mast and one minute of silence will be observed at the beginning of the day at all SEA Games venues.

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Body of Tanjong Katong Primary pupil Peony Wee arrives at Mountbatten home

Peony Wee's mother (centre, in black with arms crossed), brother (right of mother), and father (right, in white), cry at her funeral wake at Jalan Tiga. ST PHOTO: ALPHONSUS CHERN

The body of 12-year-old Peony Wee Ying Ping arrived at Jalan Tiga in Mountbatten just past 7.30pm on Sunday.

The Tanjong Katong Primary School pupil was one of eight who died on a school trip when a 6.0 magnitude earthquake hit Mount Kinabalu on Friday.

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Site set up at Tanjong Katong Primary School for people to pen messages

Visitors and members of the public pay their respects to the Sabah earthquake victims, at the Tanjong Katong Primary School. ST PHOTO: DESMOND WEE

Parents of pupils from Tanjong Katong Primary School (TKPS) have expressed their appreciation to the Ministry of Education for their efforts, said Senior Minister of State for Law and Education Indranee Rajah who met them on Sunday (June 7).

Ms Indranee, who was at the school to pen her condolences to families of the victims, said: "Teachers and staff of Tanjong Katong Primary School have been working round the clock in terms of providing to support to parents."

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Bodies of 5 Tanjong Katong Primary pupils, 1 teacher identified, Ministry of Education confirms

Family members of the Tanjong Katong Primary School pupils outside the mortuary at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Kota Kinabalu on 7 June, 2015. ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONG

A Singaporean adventure guide, Muhammad Daanish bin Amran, who had accompanied the students, was also identified.

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2 injured Tanjong Katong Primary pupils back in Singapore

Emyr Uzayr, 12, was flown back to Singapore with his parents on an International SOS air ambulance on Sunday morning (June 7). The other pupil took a separate flight. Both arrived at about 3am. PHOTO: NUR DAN SADRI/FACEBOOK

Two injured Tanjong Katong Primary pupils, who stayed behind in Sabah for medical treatment, arrived in Singapore on Sunday.

Another teacher, Mr Mohamed Faizal Abdul Salam, who used his body to shield some children from boulders that tumbled down the mountain top, is also believed to be back in Singapore. They are being treated at Singapore hospitals.

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9 Singaporeans feared dead as more bodies are recovered from Mount Kinabalu

Emotions running high at Changi Airport yesterday as parents reunited with their children who had gone to Mount Kinabalu on a school trip. ST PHOTO: CHEW SENG KIM

Late Saturday night, one Singaporean was confirmed dead and many others still missing a day after the earthquake struck Sabah in East Malaysia.

Singapore's toll was expected to be higher as 13 bodies have been found - many of them belonging to children - but several yet to be identified by their distraught relatives.

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Father of dead Singaporean girl never wanted her to go on the trip

The Tanjong Katong Primary School team which went on the Mount Kinabalu expedition taking a group shot last Thursday. PHOTO: TANJONG KATONG PRIMARY SCHOOL

Mr Alson Wee, 51, did not want his 12-year-old daughter Peony Wee to go on the school trip to Mount Kinabalu, but she begged her parents to let her go.

Peony, who loved outdoor activities, was among those who died when a 6.0-magnitude earthquake struck Mount Kinabalu in Sabah on Friday morning.

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Tanjong Katong Primary pupil daren't close his eyes, fearing flashbacks

Tanjong Katong Primary School pupil Emyr Uzayr (above) recovering at the Gleneagles Kota Kinabalu hospital after his operation. "Seeing him is the best thing in my life," says his father, Mr Sadri Farick. PHOTO: FACEBOOK PAGE OF NUR DAN SADRI, MARK CHEONG

Tanjong Katong Primary School pupil Emyr Uzayr is so traumatised after being caught and injured in the Sabah earthquake that he has flashbacks of the incident.

Emyr suffered a fractured skull, among other injuries, and was flown back to Singapore in an International SOS air ambulance on Saturday.

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Traumatised Tanjong Katong Primary pupils return home

A distraught pupil from Tanjong Katong Primary School arriving at Changi Airport yesterday. ST PHOTO: CHEW SENG KIM

At around 4pm on Saturday, 19 children from Tanjong Katong Primary School were reunited with their parents after their ordeal on Mount Kinabalu.

It was a teary-eyed reunion for most. Many were wrapped in blankets and several were sobbing. One boy was in a wheelchair, with his right leg in a cast.

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Students would not have started the trek if quake had started '15 to 30 minutes earlier'

A handout photograph made available by the Malaysian Information Ministry of Sabah on June 6, 2015 showing a victims from Singapore being examined outside the ambulance during a rescue mission for more than 130 climbers who were stranded on one of Southeast Asia's highest mountains after an earthquake rocked parts of Sabah, in Kundasang, Malaysia, on June 5, 2015. PHOTO: EPA

Divided into five teams, some of the students had just put on their rope harnesses when they heard a rumble as the boulders dislodged by the earthquake came rushing down at them.

A dust storm caused by the rock avalanche prevented the guides from seeing the imminent danger and acting to save the children strapped to the harnesses.

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No protection from falling rocks on Via Ferrata route at Mount Kinabalu

A general view of a landlside on the side of the Kinabalu Mountain as a rescue mission continues for more than 130 climbers stranded on one of Southeast Asia's highest mountains after an earthquake, Sabah, in Kundasang, Malaysia, on June 6, 2015. PHOTO: EPA

A group of pupils from Tanjong Katong Primary School were attempting the Via Ferrata trail when the earthquake struck at 7.15am on Friday.

The trail is normally safe for upper primary school pupils to attempt, but in the case of an earthquake, there is no shelter or vegetation on the rock face to protect them from falling rocks and debris, said Mr Collin Ng, an events organiser who has climbed the mountain four times.

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Mountain guides emerge as heroes for key role in rescue efforts

Sabahan mountain guides carrying an injured climber. PHOTO: THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK

Sabahan mountain guides have emerged as heroes in the aftermath of a 5.9-magnitude earthquake for playing key roles in search and rescue efforts.

Photos of the "unsung heroes" transporting injured Mount Kinabalu climbers to safer ground were posted on social media yesterday to much praise and appreciation.

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Some bodies 'almost impossible' to bring down, say rescuers

Efforts to bring down bodies of climbers from Mount Kinabalu have been hampered as some are crushed and pinned under tonnes of rocks and boulders after Friday's earthquake. PHOTO: THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK

Efforts to bring down bodies of climbers from Mount Kinabalu were hampered as some were crushed and pinned under tonnes of rocks and boulders after Friday's earthquake.

Rescuers, who returned from the scene late on Saturday, said their helicopters faced difficulty in flying low on the mountain top and had to keep below 10,000 feet.

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Four Singaporeans in ICU at Gleneagles Kota Kinabalu Hospital

Personnel from the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Kota Kinabalu unloading a body bag from an ambulance. ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONG

Four Singaporeans who suffered head, skull or spinal injuries in the Sabah quake were under observation in the intensive care unit at Gleneagles Kota Kinabalu Hospital on Saturday.

The hospital has seen 20 Singaporeans since Friday. Two were treated as outpatients, and 13 were admitted for minor injuries and discharged on Saturday.

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No more big one but aftershocks to continue, says geologist

A geologist believes that Sabah will not be hit again with an earthquake the magnitude of Friday's 5.9 on the Richter scale. PHOTO: EPA

"The worse is behind us and the aftershocks in Sabah are expected to die down in the next few days," said University Malaysia Sabah (UMS) Professor Felix Tongkul.

He said the aftershocks of not be more than 4.0 magnitude would continue for a few more days.

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