A 22-year-old German tourist died Monday after falling from the peak of Mount Kinabalu on Malaysia’s Borneo island, police said.
Ranau District police officer Rahman Kassim said Victoria Paulsen fell some 30 metres (100 feet) down a rocky surface from the peak of Kinabalu, one of Southeast Asia’s highest mountains and a major tourist attraction in the eastern state of Sabah.
Paulsen had climbed the peak to see the sunrise with other tourists including a guide and at least one male friend, Rahman said.
Her body has been sent to a mortuary at the Ranau Hospital.
The guide said Paulsen had climbed over a rope into a cordoned-off area when she slipped, Rahman told AFP but added that the police were still investigating the incident.
Her guide is believed to be one by the name of Jaafar. A guide is supposed to ensure the safety of climbers under his supervision.
Kinabalu Park officers could not immediately be reached for further comment.
Every year tens of thousands of locals and foreigners climb the mountain, which rises 4,095 metres high above Sabah’s thick rainforests. Fatal accidents are rare.
In August 2001, a British teen, Ellie James of Cornwall, England, died at the peak of Mount Kinabalu after she lost her way while descending the summit. Her body was found 6 days later by rescuers.