At Least 16 Dead After Landslide Tears Through Malaysian Campsite

By Staff, Agencies

At least eight people have been confirmed dead in a landslide that buried a campsite northeast of the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur in the early hours of the morning, with search and rescue efforts continuing for more than two dozen people still missing.

Emergency services, including officers from 12 fire stations and civil defense, said they rushed to the scene – in a hilly part of the state of Selangor – after receiving a distress call at 2.24 am on Friday.

The Ministry of Local Government and Development said that as of 1 pm, the death toll had risen to 16 with 17 people still missing. Dozens were pulled from the mud and debris with the injured taken to hospital.

The National Disaster Management Agency [NADMA] earlier said that 92 people were at the site when the disaster happened.

The landslide struck at the side of the road near an organic farm about 45 minutes northeast of the capital, Kuala Lumpur. The farm operates three camping areas – one by the river, one with a view of the farm and one at the hilltop – and is a popular getaway for families from the city.

Pictures shared on social media showed rescue workers searching through piles of mud and fallen trees to find survivors. Eight people were taken to hospital with a variety of injuries.

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said he was “shocked” at the news of the landslide and had been briefed on the rescue efforts. He said some ministers were on the ground, and that he would visit the site later on Friday.

“Let’s pray for the people of Malaysia and hope that this mission goes smoothly,” he said in a statement.

Malaysia is in the midst of the monsoon and experiencing regular downpours.

Landslides are not uncommon in the areas near the capital in the rainy season.

In March, officials in Selangor said they had identified some 150 slopes at high risk of landslides, many of them around the hills to the east of Kuala Lumpur.

A large landslide after 10 days of torrential rain in the same area led to the collapse of a block of apartments at the Highland Towers condominium complex in December 1993. Some 48 people died in the disaster, making it the worst building collapse in Malaysian history.