KOTA KINABALU, Sept. 19 -- A teenager broke down as he recalled the September 15 landslide in Kampung Mook, Papar, which claimed the lives of his mother and younger brother.

Xavier Junior Jude, 17, said he was jolted awake at about 8am by the sound of walls collapsing and objects crashing down.

"It all happened in the blink of an eye," he said.

Rushing out of his room, Xavier heard his mother calling for help from her bedroom.

"I tried to open the door, but it wouldn't budge. I found something hard to break it open, but when I finally managed to, I couldn't see anything anymore - it was all dirt," he recounted.

In panic, he ran outside and saw his father trapped in the rubble, crying for help. Before he could reach him, a second, str...