At least 13 dead as Malaysia earthquake hits climbers on Mt Kinabalu

A strong earthquake that jolted Malaysia's Mount Kinabalu has killed at least 13 people and left another eight missing

Tourists walk away from Mount Kinabalu hours after a magnitude 5.9 earthquake shook the area in Kundasang, Sabah, Malaysia, Friday, June 5, 2015. The quake struck northwest of Ranau district in Sab Source: AP

A strong earthquake that jolted Malaysia's Mount Kinabalu has killed at least 13 people and left another eight missing.

The 6.0-magnitude quake struck early Friday near the picturesque mountain, Southeast Asia's highest and a popular tourist destination.

Earlier on Saturday Malaysian rescuers brought 137 hikers trapped on the mountain for 18 hours down to safety after their descent was blocked by damage to a key trail and the threat of continuing

rockfalls.

Climbers from 16 countries had been on the peak, including 117 Malaysians, 38 Singaporeans, five Americans, four Dutch, three British, two French and two Australians. There were also tourists from Belgium, Thailand, the Philippines, Kazakhstan, India, New Zealand, South Korea, Denmark and China.

Officials said, and media pictures showed, that the mountain's landmark Donkey's Ears twin peaks had been badly damaged in the quake.