A TOTAL of 239 people descended from Mount Kinabalu following yesterday’s earthquake in Ranau.

The climbers, guides and rescuers arrived at the Timpohon Gates at the foot of Mount Kinabalu about 4.30am today.

A magnitude 5.2 earthquake hit about 16km from Ranau at 9.06pm yesterday, forcing the Sabah government to halt all excursions to Mount Kinabalu.

No death has been reported so far while state agencies are still assessing the situation.

Some 130 climbers, 42 mountain guides, six Mountain Search and Rescue personnel, 11 Sabah Parks personnel, 12 private adventure firm workers, four construction workers and 30 lodge workers began descending the mountain soon after the area felt the temblor.

More than 60 Fire and Rescue Department, police, Civil Defence Force, Mountain Search and Rescue and Sabah Parks officers were deployed to the Kinabalu park site. – March 9, 2018.