Deadly landslides and floods leave 12 dead, 1 missing in Sabah, Malaysia
Severe rainfall caused widespread flooding and slope failures across Sabah from September 13 to 15, 2025, killing at least 12 people and leaving one missing. Landslides destroyed homes in Papar and Kota Kinabalu, while another fatal slope failure in Penampang collapsed a transmission tower and triggered a massive power outage.
Image credit: Sabah Electricity
Continuous rainfall over Sabah triggered widespread floods and multiple landslides between September 13 and 15, leaving at least 12 people dead and one missing. The events destroyed homes in Papar and Kota Kinabalu and caused a transmission tower collapse in Penampang that cut electricity to about 230 000 consumers.
Rainfall in Kota Kinabalu reached about 138 mm (5.4 inches) in one night, representing nearly half a month’s average, while Penampang recorded continuous downpours since the previous weekend.
The Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) had issued thunderstorm, heavy rain and strong wind warnings for Sabah’s interior and west coast districts.
The worst incident occurred at Kg Cendera Kasih near Kota Kinabalu, where a wooden house was destroyed by a landslide that buried 11 members of a single family. Just four survived, including one with a broken leg, while seven others, three adults and four children aged two, four and nine, were confirmed dead.
In Papar, a landslide struck a house at Kg Maragang Tuntul at 09:20 LT on September 15, trapping three people. Two victims were recovered while one remains missing. About 40 minutes later, another landslide in Kg Mook buried three houses, killing a woman and her 11-year-old son.
Emergency response teams, including 76 rescuers from the Fire and Rescue Department, police, Civil Defence Force (APM) and health services, were deployed to affected areas while authorities ordered nearby residents to evacuate amid concerns of further slope failures and continue monitoring unstable terrain.
The Sabah government cancelled Malaysia Day celebrations to redirect resources toward disaster response. As of 16:00 LT (08:00 UTC) on September 15, APM reported that 804 people from 209 families had been evacuated from Beaufort, Penampang, Tawau and Membakut.
Penampang recorded the highest displacement with 425 people, followed by Membakut with 202, Beaufort with 177 and Tawau with 59. Ten temporary evacuation centres were opened to accommodate displaced residents.
Separately, on September 13, a landslide in Kampung Sarapung, Penampang, caused a Sabah Electricity transmission tower to collapse. The incident disrupted the 275 kV Kolopis–Segaliud transmission line, cutting power to about 230 000 consumers across Sabah’s east coast, including Sandakan, Lahad Datu, Kinabatangan, Kunak, Semporna and Beluran. One fatality was reported in connection with this landslide.
Local authorities reported that prolonged rainfall between September 8 and 15, caused at least 42 landslides, 18 flash flood events and 10 road collapses across Sabah.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said today that the priority of the government at the moment is to ensure all early aid reaches the victims of the flood and landslides in Sabah.
I'm a dedicated researcher, journalist, and editor at The Watchers. With over 20 years of experience in the media industry, I specialize in hard science news, focusing on extreme weather, seismic and volcanic activity, space weather, and astronomy, including near-Earth objects and planetary defense strategies. You can reach me at teo /at/ watchers.news.
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