Melangkap, a Sabah village changed by quake
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THE 5.9-magnitude earthquake that struck Gunung Kinabalu four years ago changed the face of Sg Melangkap in Kota Belud.
Today, the rocky wilderness is being developed as a family vacation spot.
The tragedy also affected the villagers who grew crops near the river. Floodwaters changed Sg Melangkap’s landscape, and the land is no longer fertile, covered with rocks that fell from the mountains.
There used to be two streams, but since the 2015 quake, there is only one. The area has since been cleared and developed as a tourist attraction. The Polumpung campsite, created in early 2017, gave the villagers new hope.
Named after the Dusun word for “island area”, the Polumpung site now receives up to 500 visitors per week. It is located in the village of Melupuk in Kota Belud, between the Kota Kinabalu and Ranau areas. – October 9, 2019.
