SINGAPORE — They were split into five groups, and set to tackle a 430m-long stretch on the Via Ferrata path of Mount Kinabalu early on Friday morning, when the earthquake struck.

About 12 to 15 students and five teachers from Tanjong Katong Primary School (TKPS) were on the trail, while others were waiting for their turn, at about 7am. The earthquake occurred some 15 minutes later, sending boulders and rocks tumbling down the mountainside.

These details emerged in a briefing by the Ministry of Education, which gave an account of what happened on the fateful trip, based on recollections of the surviving students and teachers.

That morning, 24 of the 29 students set out to make an attempt on the Walk the Torq trail at 4.30am to 5.30am, accompanied by eight teachers. The remaining five students had chosen to sit it out as they were feeling ill.

The route they were supposed to tackle is on Via Ferrata, a popular option for climbers on the 4,095m-high Mount Kinabalu, run by mountaineering company Mountain Torq.

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The path comprises a series of rungs, rails and cables on the rock face. Climbers make their way up, connected to a series of safety cables and wearing harnesses and helmets.

The MOE said the students were divided into groups of four to five, accompanied by one or two teachers and a Mountain Torq instructor.

Three groups were on the Walk the Torq trail at about 7am.

An MOE official at the briefing said it is believed that the Singaporeans who died — six students, one teacher and one guide — were mainly from these three groups.

The students in the remaining groups waiting for their turn huddled as their teachers tried to shield them.

The Walk the Torq route is designed for children who are at least 10 years old and 1.3m tall. It is understood that because mist sets in as early as 8am, trekkers embark on this route before dawn.

The MOE also said TKPS had been organising such activities to Mount Kinabalu for seven years, and seven of the eight teachers who were on the trip had conducted such activities several times.

The students had also undergone two to three months of training before the trip, including climbing stairs and completing runs. Many schools have also made such trips in past years and there have been no reported accidents so far, the MOE said.