KUALA LUMPUR, June 7 -- Sixteen bodies have been recovered by the search and rescue team on Malaysia's Mount Kinabalu after a 5.9-magnitude earthquake hit the eastern Sabah state, one of which carried a Chinese passport, the Chinese Consulate in Kota Kinabalu said on Sunday.

The consulate said the bodies will be officially identified by the forensic experts and the police, and the Chinese mission will cooperate with the work of the Malaysian side by providing information and give support to the next-of-kins of the missing Chinese national.

Sabah Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Masidi Manjun told a press conference that the number of casualties on Mount Kinabalu has been revised to 18, of which, 16 has been recovered and two still considered missing and yet to be identified because of the bodies condition.

He said there was one climber earlier listed as missing but actually among the first batch of climbers who arrived at the base of the mountain.

Masidi said no efforts will be spared during the operations until everyone has been accounted and the operation team will make sure everyone and all those affected in the tragedy is accounted.