Sabah Landslides Kill Residents and Cut Power to 230,000 Accounts as Emergency Repairs Begin

A collapsed tower deepens Sabah's flood emergency

A landslide near Kampung Sarapung in Penampang brought down a major electricity transmission tower on Saturday, September 13, cutting power to about 230,000 consumer accounts across Sabah's east coast at the peak of the outage. By Monday afternoon, state officials had reported at least 12 deaths and one missing person from the wider floods and landslides, with later local tallies indicating that the death toll had risen further.

Sandakan, Lahad Datu, Kinabatangan, Kunak, Semporna and Beluran bore the main electricity disruption. Tawau also experienced localized outages as the power system adjusted to the sudden loss of a crucial connection between the west and east coasts.

The fallen structure was Tower 5 on the 275 kV Kolopis to Segaliud corridor, near the Kolopis main substation on Sabah's west coast. The line carries large amounts of electricity from generating centers around Kimanis and Sepanggar to communities and businesses on the east coast. Its failure left places more than 300 kilometers away, including Sandakan, without their usual supply.

As of September 16, the emergency involved several overlapping problems: rescuers searching damaged homes, families sheltering away from rising water, engineers repairing a broken power route and residents waiting for electricity and water services to stabilize. Heavy rain, blocked roads and unstable ground slowed the work.

Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd began restoring supply within hours by using local generation and changing how electricity moved through the remaining network. Many neighborhoods regained power on Sunday, but tens of thousands of customers still faced intermittent or prolonged outages on Monday.

How the power corridor failed

Both circuits on the Kolopis to Segaliud Line 1 and 2 tripped at about 5.05 pm on Saturday after heavy rain triggered the slope failure in Penampang. A restart attempt at 7.05 pm failed. Field crews subsequently confirmed that Tower 5 had collapsed.

Video from the site showed the structure leaning at an angle before it failed as saturated soil and slope movement undermined it. The landslide that brought down the tower was fatal, forming part of a wider week of deadly weather emergencies across Sabah.

Tower 9, near Kampung Guromboi, also had problems with soil erosion, although it was not the primary cause of the blackout. The damage at Tower 5 severed the corridor that normally delivers substantial power from the west coast to the east.

Electricity networks have automatic protection equipment that disconnects a faulty line within milliseconds. When a tower falls, its wires can short circuit, or the pulling force on those wires can tear connecting equipment. Protective relays then shut down the affected circuits to prevent further damage.

In this case, both circuits tripped, removing large groups of electricity users from the network at once. The system experienced a sudden loss of roughly 242 megawatts of demand. Generators had to be adjusted carefully because electricity production and consumption must stay balanced for the network to operate steadily.

The scale of the blackout reflected the role of this particular corridor. Much of Sabah's major generating capacity is on the west coast, while population centers and industry extend along the east. Transmission lines connect those distant places across forested mountains and river valleys, making the condition of their supporting structures critical to everyday services.

Three stages of electricity restoration

Sabah Electricity activated local power stations in Sandakan and Tawau to help cover the missing supply. Engineers also began conductor bridging, reconnecting electricity carrying wires so that power could be routed from the west while the damaged section was repaired.

The first stage aimed to reconnect the Kolopis to Segaliud route within about two days, weather permitting. During this early period, roughly 70,000 customers were expected to experience rotational outages at times of peak demand. Rotational outages mean temporarily cutting supply to different areas in turn when the available electricity cannot meet all demand at once.

By late Sunday, parts of Kunak, Lahad Datu and Semporna had regained electricity. Sections of Tawau, including residential areas, farms and schools, also had supply restored through local generators and changes to the network. The utility's crisis team continued working around the clock on the initial bridging operation.

Specialist crews were preparing two Emergency Restoration System towers at the collapse site. These temporary structures consist of modular lattice sections that can be assembled quickly, including on difficult ground, to carry wires across a damaged span.

The utility expected installation of the temporary towers to take roughly eight days. Once they were connected and carrying electricity, managers did not plan to continue rotational load shedding because the network would again have a robust route to the east coast.

A permanent replacement tower was also planned, at an estimated cost of 3 million ringgit. Construction was expected to take around three months, depending on ground conditions and access. The two day, eight day and three month estimates described different repair stages; weather and conditions at the site would affect when each could be completed.

Why water services also faltered

Power cuts interrupted water supplies in some east coast communities because treatment plants and distribution pumps lost electricity. Residents in places such as Sandakan were dealing with inconsistent utilities while also cleaning up after flooding.

Water service can take longer to recover than electricity. Once pumps restart, reservoirs need time to refill and pressure must build again in pipelines before water can reach households reliably.

Coordination between Sabah Electricity, the water department and local councils remained a priority as pumping resumed and repair work continued. Restoring electricity to a neighborhood and restoring a steady flow from its taps were connected tasks, but they followed different operating steps.

Legislators and local leaders reported outages lasting up to 13 hours in some Sandakan neighborhoods. They urged patience as crews worked through access problems and bad weather. For affected households, long cuts disrupted the ability to charge phones, keep food cold and obtain water during an already demanding cleanup.

Families caught in deadly slope failures

The blackout was one part of the emergency that unfolded between September 13 and 15. Torrential rain caused widespread flooding and dozens of landslides across Sabah's west coast and interior, affecting Kota Kinabalu, Penampang, Papar and other areas.

At Kampung Cendera Kasih near Kota Kinabalu, a landslide destroyed a wooden house and buried a large family. Seven people died there, including children aged two, four and nine. Other members of the household survived with injuries.

The deaths focused attention on the danger to informal housing on unstable slopes. When a hillside moves, a home in its path can be overwhelmed by soil and debris, leaving occupants little time to escape.

In Papar, a morning landslide at Kampung Maragang Tuntul trapped three people in a makeshift wooden home. Rescuers recovered two bodies, while a boy aged six remained missing for hours as teams worked through mud and shifting terrain.

About 40 minutes after that slide, another struck Kampung Mook, burying three houses and killing a woman and her son aged 11. Separately, a man drowned in floodwaters in Kuala Penyu. A resident aged 97 had died in an earlier landslide in Penampang during the previous week as rainfall intensified.

Sabah Fire and Rescue Department director Mohd Pisar Aziz described the conditions facing rescuers searching landslide sites:

Our teams are continuing search efforts despite challenging conditions.

Search and recovery operations continued as the casualty count developed beyond the state officials' Monday afternoon tally of at least 12 deaths and one missing person.

Heavy rainfall closes roads and forces evacuations

Kota Kinabalu recorded roughly 138 millimeters of rain in a single night, close to half its typical monthly average. That concentrated rainfall helped explain why water rose quickly and already wet hillsides became increasingly unstable.

The Malaysian Meteorological Department had issued warnings for thunderstorms, heavy rain and strong winds in districts on the west coast and in the interior. Saturated soil left slopes vulnerable as the downpours continued.

Roads collapsed in multiple locations, and at least several dozen routes were closed at the height of the crisis. Those closures affected travel and complicated the movement of rescue teams, repair crews and supplies.

More than 800 people from affected villages sought shelter in temporary evacuation centers in Beaufort, Penampang, Tawau and Membakut. Rising water and weakening hillsides made remaining at home unsafe for families in exposed areas.

The main developments followed this sequence:

• During the week before September 13, worsening rain contributed to a fatal landslide in Penampang that killed a resident aged 97.
• On Saturday, September 13, the Kolopis to Segaliud circuits tripped at about 5.05 pm. A restart attempt failed at 7.05 pm, and crews confirmed the collapse of Tower 5.
• On Sunday, September 14, Chief Minister Hajiji Noor convened an emergency meeting. Electricity returned to parts of several affected districts as local generation and network changes took effect.
• By Monday afternoon, September 15, state officials reported at least 12 deaths and one missing person. Search operations continued, and later local tallies indicated further deaths.
• As of Tuesday, September 16, work centered on restoring the transmission connection, installing temporary towers and supporting communities affected by floods and landslides.

Emergency aid replaces celebration plans

Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor met senior officials and Sabah Electricity's leadership on Sunday to speed up restoration and coordinate disaster operations. He urged crews to exercise caution on saturated slopes, requested continuous public updates and asked agencies to remain fully ready while rain persisted.

The state government cancelled Malaysia Day celebrations planned in Kota Kinabalu so resources could be directed to rescue and relief. Hajiji explained the priority behind that decision:

The well being, welfare and security of the people are of utmost importance.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim approved 21 million ringgit in emergency assistance for Sabah, on top of earlier federal allocations channeled through the state. The funding supported early assistance for displaced families and helped agencies restore utilities and clear roads clogged with debris.

Anwar directed the national disaster agency and federal departments to act quickly on relief, infrastructure repairs and essential services. He said assistance needed to reach affected households without delay:

The government's priority is the safety, welfare, and survival of flood victims. Every impacted household must receive assistance without delay.

Sabah DAP chairman Datuk Phoong Jin Zhe also called for the government apparatus to concentrate on relief rather than ceremony:

This is not the time for celebration. It is the time for mobilisation.

State and federal teams shared updates through official channels on road closures, evacuation center capacity, electricity restoration and water service. Residents were urged to regard intermittent outages as temporary while engineers stabilized the grid and to avoid slopes, swollen rivers and damaged bridges.

Why wet slopes and long power routes are vulnerable

Sabah's mountainous terrain meets the South China Sea and the Sulu Sea, while settlements extend into foothills and steep valleys. Persistent heavy rain can create danger across a wide area, particularly where homes and infrastructure occupy vulnerable ground.

Rainwater filling the spaces in soil increases pressure and reduces the friction that helps hold a hillside together. Once the soil is saturated, additional rainfall can make the slope slide. The process can accelerate where vegetation has been removed, drainage is poor or homes stand on cut slopes without sufficient reinforcement.

Weather warnings help identify periods of danger, but several days of continuing rain can keep increasing the pressure on hillsides. The same conditions threaten roads, houses and the foundations of electricity towers.

Climate scientists have documented a trend toward heavier downpours over short periods in Southeast Asia, linked to a warmer atmosphere that holds more moisture. For Sabah, intense rainfall can arrive on top of seasonal monsoon patterns, increasing the likelihood of flash floods and slope failures in steep areas with weathered soil.

Sabah's electricity network has its own geographic challenge. Major generators on the west coast must supply demand centers spread along the east through high voltage corridors such as the 275 kV Kolopis to Segaliud line. A failed structure on a critical route can therefore interrupt service far from the landslide itself.

Engineers reduce this exposure by providing alternative transmission routes, adding local generation and using temporary towers to bridge damaged sections. The response at Tower 5 combined local power production with a temporary replacement path while permanent construction was prepared.

Authorities were reviewing monitoring of towers and slopes in areas prone to landslides. Measures under review included expanded inspections after major storms, better drainage around foundations and early warning sensors where soil movement was detected. Planning controls for hillsides and stronger construction practices for homes on vulnerable ground were also part of reducing exposure to future slope failures.

Protecting households during continuing disruption

Officials expected some areas to continue experiencing brief outages during the repair period, including while the temporary towers were being brought into service and permanent work proceeded. The utility's plan was to end rotational rationing once the Emergency Restoration System towers were carrying power.

Residents also faced continuing risks from rain, weakened slopes and damaged roads. Practical preparations could help households manage interruptions while emergency teams restored services:

• Reduce electricity use during peak hours where supply is limited, and switch off appliances that are not needed.
• Keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed during outages to retain cold. Use a cooler with ice for medicine when needed.
• Charge phones and power banks while electricity is available, and keep torches and spare batteries ready.
• Store clean water in containers when taps are running. Treatment plants and pumps may need time to recover after electricity returns.
• Avoid slopes, drains and riverbanks during and after heavy rain. Cracks in walls or the ground can signal movement; evacuate if those warning signs appear.
• Keep portable generators outdoors and far from windows and doors to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning. Never operate them indoors.
• Follow official updates about electricity, road closures and evacuation centers.
• Drive cautiously near damaged roads and never attempt to cross floodwaters.

Stable electricity, restored water pressure and safe access roads were all necessary for affected communities to recover. Crews continued working on those services while rescuers and relief agencies supported households displaced by the disaster.

Key Points

• Tower 5 collapsed near Kampung Sarapung in Penampang on September 13, cutting electricity to about 230,000 consumer accounts at the outage's peak.
• Sandakan, Lahad Datu, Kinabatangan, Kunak, Semporna and Beluran suffered major disruptions; Tawau also reported localized outages.
• State officials recorded at least 12 deaths and one missing person by Monday afternoon, with later local tallies indicating a higher death toll.
• Roughly 70,000 customers were expected to face rotational outages during early stabilization.
• Initial reconnection was expected to take about two days, temporary tower installation roughly eight days and permanent replacement around three months, subject to conditions.
• The permanent tower was budgeted at about 3 million ringgit, while federal emergency assistance totaled 21 million ringgit on top of earlier allocations.
• More than 800 people sought shelter in evacuation centers, and several dozen roads were closed at the height of the emergency.
• Sabah cancelled Malaysia Day celebrations in Kota Kinabalu to concentrate resources on rescue and relief.
• Water supplies in some east coast communities remained disrupted as treatment plants, pumps and reservoirs recovered.