Husband’s Desperate Plea for Help Goes Viral as Wife, Son Killed in Papar Landslide

KOTA KINABALU, Sept 15: A heart-wrenching video of a father pleading for help as his wife and young son lay trapped in their landslide-hit home in Papar has gone viral, underscoring the human tragedy of multiple landslides that struck Sabah on Monday.

In the 26-second clip, the distraught man begged for an excavator to dig through the rubble as he fought back tears.

“Please help me; anyone with a Hitachi (excavator), send it to me. I am willing to pay whatever the cost. Help me. My wife and child are inside. I can’t do anything anymore. I beg you all, please help me,” he cried before breaking down.

Despite frantic search and rescue efforts at Kg Mook, about 35 km from the Papar fire station, his worst fears were confirmed hours later. His wife, 38, and son, 11, were recovered lifeless from the debris. Shirtless and visibly shaken, he was later seen identifying their bodies.

The operation, initially launched by three firemen and later reinforced to nine personnel, including members of the elite Storm unit, concluded at 2.25pm. The team had responded to a distress call at 10.02am reporting that a landslide had struck three houses, leaving at least two people trapped. Authorities said the affected slope will be closely monitored for further risks.

Tragically, this was just one of several landslides that struck Papar within hours.

Earlier that morning, at 9.20am, firefighters responded to another landslide at Kg Maragang Tuntul, where three people were trapped after their house was buried. A team of eight firemen arrived within 14 minutes and immediately began rescue operations.

Compounding the devastation, a third landslide hit Kg Cendera Kasih, burying 11 members of a family inside their wooden home. While four were rescued, one with a broken leg, five others, including four children and one adult woman, were confirmed dead.

As of press time, two more victims, a woman and a child, remain missing. A large-scale search involving 76 personnel from multiple agencies is ongoing, while nearby residents have been advised to evacuate amid fears of further landslides.

Kota Kinabalu OCPD Asst. Comm. Kasim Muda said initial reports suggest the victims may be immigrants, though this has yet to be confirmed.

The series of landslides has left Papar residents reeling, with the viral video of the father’s desperate plea becoming a stark reminder of the human toll exacted by Sabah’s recurring natural disasters.