Kota Kinabalu: A nine-year-old girl was stung by jellyfish while swimming at Tanjung Aru Beach 1 here on Saturday morning, bringing the number of such cases recorded by the Civil Defence Department (JPAM) to 22 this month.Its Director, Colonel Mulliadi Al-Hamdi Ladin, said Marshanda Shenelle Ponsiun was screaming in pain when beach attendants spotted her in the sea during their patrol at the beach at about 10.30am.
He said the beach attendants quickly took the girl out of the water and discovered that she was stung by jellyfish on her leg and hand.
"They sprayed ascetic acid (vinegar) on the left leg and the right hand of the girl before she was rushed to the hospital by her family," he said here Saturday.
To a question, Mulliadi said the 22 cases of jelly fish attacks happened only at Tanjung Aru and that no such case ever happened at two beach towers at Tanjung Simpang Mengagau beach at Kudat and Parapat Beach in Lahad Datu, this month.
"The department has contacted the Meteorological Department and Fisheries Department here in regards to the jellyfish attacks.
"They claimed that the incidents most probably happened due to the current El Nino phenomenon that is believed to have caused marine life, including the box jellyfish species to relocate or move from one location to another location," he said.
The first case on Jan 9 involved two boys aged nine and 12 who were stung by jellyfish at the Tanjung Aru beach at 5.30pm.
On Jan 18, a 12-year-old boy suffered jellyfish stings and two days later, a 12-year-old girl was stung at the same beach.
Mulliadi had earlier urged parents and guardians planning to take their families and children for outings at the beach to be wary, especially if the plan involves sea activities like swimming.
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