Landslide hits camping area in Malaysia, leaving at least 12 dead and dozens missing
A landslide has killed at least 12 people while they slept at a campsite in Malaysia, officials say, with search teams scouring thick mud and downed trees to look for more than 20 people still missing.
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Authorities say more than 90 people were caught in the landslide, with 59 found safe and 22 still missing
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At least 12 people have been killed and eight have been hospitalised
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The landslide occurred at about 3am local time Friday in Selangor state, on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur
The landslide in Selangor state, on the outskirts of capital, Kuala Lumpur, occurred about 3am on Friday local time on the side of a road near a farmhouse that provides camping facilities, the state fire and rescue department said in a statement.
Teh Lynn Xuan, 22, said she was camping with 40 others when the landslide struck.
“I heard a loud sound like thunder, but it was the rocks falling,” she told Malay-language daily Berita Harian.
“We felt the tents becoming unstable and soil was falling around us,” she said.
“Luckily, I was able to leave the tent and go to someplace safer. My mother and I managed to crawl out and save ourselves.”
She said one of her brothers died, while another was in hospital.
Multiple agencies deployed in response
More than 90 people were caught in the landslide. Fifty-nine have been found safe and 22 still missing, according to the fire and rescue department.
In addition to the 12 dead, eight were hospitalised, the department said.
One of those taken to the hospital was pregnant, while others had injuries ranging from minor cuts to a suspected spinal injury, Health Minister Zaliha Mustafa told a news conference.
District Police Chief Suffian Abdullah said the dead were all Malaysians and included a child about five years old.
He said almost 400 people from several agencies had been deployed in response to the disaster, with search-and-rescue efforts ongoing.
The landslide fell from an estimated height of 30 metres above the campsite, and covered nearly half a hectare, according to the fire and rescue department’s state director.
Footage from local television showed the aftermath of a large landslide through a steep, forested area beside a road, while other images on social media showed rescue workers clambering over thick mud, large trees and other debris.
“I pray that the missing victims can be found safely soon,” Malaysia’s Minister of Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change, Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, tweeted on Friday morning.
“The rescue team has been working since early. I’m going down there today.”
Landslide hit scenic camping area
The disaster struck just outside the Genting Highlands, a scenic hill country area in Batang Kali district, north of the capital that is popular for its resorts and natural beauty.
Pictures posted on the Father’s Organic Farm Facebook page show a farmhouse in a small valley, with a large area where tents can be set up.
Footage from local television showed the aftermath of a landslide through a forested area beside a road, while other images on social media showed rescue workers clambering over thick mud, large trees and other debris.
Selangor is the country’s most affluent state and has suffered landslides before, often attributed to forest and land clearance.
The region is in its rainy season but no heavy rain or earthquakes were recorded overnight.
A year ago, about 21,000 people were displaced by flooding from torrential rain in seven states across the country.
Reuters
