DHAKA: The bodies of 11 climbers have been recovered from Malaysia’s highest peak Mount Kinabalu after a 6.0 magnitude earthquake triggered a series of landslides.

A total of 137 climbers, including several foreigners, who had been stranded when the quake first struck on Friday have safely returned to the park's headquarters, Sabah's minister for tourism Masidi Manjun said in a post on Twitter.

Eight people still missing after the earthquake happened, he added, reports the Times of India.

Among the dead was a 12-year-old schoolgirl from Singapore, identified as Wee Ying Ping Peony, who was part of a trekking group of 40, and a 30-year old local mountain guide.

The other nine that were killed have yet to be identified, Ranau district police chief deputy superintendent Farhan Lee Abdullah told a news conference at the Kinabalu Park headquarters.

Climbers from 16 countries had been stranded on the mountain on Borneo island, including 117 Malaysians, 38 Singaporeans, five Americans, four Dutch, three British, two French and two Australians, he said.

There were also tourists from Belgium, Thailand, the Philippines, Kazakhstan, India, New Zealand, South Korea, Denmark and China.

Rescue and recovery operations are still ongoing but have been hampered by bad weather.

BDST: 1709 HRS, JUNE 06, 2015
BD/