'I will pay whatever the cost': Man's viral cry for help too late to save wife, son in Kota Kinabalu landslide

A video of a man begging for help to save his wife and son trapped in their landslide-hit home in Papar, Sabah has drawn widespread attention online.

In the 26-second clip, the man can be seen pleading for an excavator to dig through the rubble and find his family.

"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 said.

The video has been circulated across various social media platforms with one report garnering over 550,000 views as of Tuesday (Sept 16).

The man was later spotted at the scene looking exhausted and disoriented as firefighters carried out search and rescue operations. 

Hours later, his 38-year-old wife and 11-year-old son were recovered from the wreckage and pronounced dead at the scene, reported The Star.

The shirtless and visibly shaken man was later seen identifying the bodies of his wife and child and helping to carry them out of the wreckage.

The rescue team was expanded from three firemen to nine, including members of the elite Storm rescue unit. It was responding to a distress call made at 10.02am on Monday stating that a landslide had struck three houses and left at least two people buried, reported The Star.

The operation at Kota Kinabalu concluded at 2.25pm the same day.

The slope will continue to be closely monitored for further risks, said authorities.

Girl, 10, found dead after 18-hour search

Since Sept 11, Sabah has been hit by continuous torrential rain, triggering at least four separate landslides in three districts. The affected areas include the capital Kota Kinabalu, Penampang and Papar, with 13 deaths recorded so far, reported the New Straits Times (NST).

A 10-year-old girl was found dead on Tuesday after nearly 18 hours of search and rescue operations — following the deaths of her mother, 34, and younger brother, 6, reported NST.

Sabah Fire and Rescue Department director Mohd Pisar Aziz said they received an emergency call at 9.20am regarding the incident.

"On arrival, we found that a landslide had struck a house, with three victims reported trapped. The first victim was found at 4.20pm, followed by the second five minutes later," he said.

"The third victim was located at 8.45pm and the body was retrieved at 1.48am."

"All victims were confirmed dead by MOH (Ministry of Health) officers and subsequently handed over to the police for further action.

"The operation was officially concluded at 2.05am," he said.

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bhavya.rawat@asiaone.com