The female victim was found covered in blood inside a bathroom by the landlord at about 12.30pm, Berita Harian reported.

The teenager had reportedly met an acquaintance at the house before the incident occurred. The landlord, who declined to be named, said a tenant had asked him to check on the house, which is located next to his residence.

“As I approached the house, I saw a man running up the hill in front of the house. At that time, I did not suspect anything. But when I went inside, I saw the victim lying on the bathroom floor covered in blood,” he said.

He then called first responders, who rushed the victim to Queen Elizabeth I Hospital in Kota Kinabalu for treatment.

It is understood that the victim had been living at the rented home with her sister for about three years and was babysitting her niece when the incident occurred.

Penampang police chief Sammy Newton confirmed the incident and said they were tracking down a man in his 30s to assist in the investigation.