Landslide at Malaysia campground leaves 16 dead, 17 missing
BATANG KALI, Malaysia (AP) — A landslide at a tourist campsite in Malaysia on Friday killed 16 people and authorities said 17 others were feared to have been buried at the site of an organic farm outside the capital Kuala Lumpur.
BATANG KALI, Malaysia (AP) — A landslide at a tourist campsite in Malaysia on Friday killed 16 people and authorities said 17 others were feared to have been buried at the site of an organic farm outside the capital Kuala Lumpur.
An estimated 94 Malaysians were believed to be staying at the campsite in Batang Kali in central Selangor state, about 50 kilometers north of Kuala Lumpur, at the time of the incident, District Police Chief Suffian Abdullah said.
He said the death toll rose to 16, including a five-year-old boy. Seven people were hospitalized with injuries and rescuers were searching for the estimated 17 missing, he said. Another 53 people were rescued without harm.
Suffian said victims entered the area on Wednesday, a popular recreation spot for locals to set up or rent tents at the farm. More than 400 personnel, including sniffer dogs, were involved in the search and rescue effort.
The Selangor Fire Department said firefighters arrived at the scene at 2:24 a.m., half an hour after receiving an emergency call. The landslide fell from an estimated height of 30 meters (98 feet) from the roadside and covered an area of approximately three acres (1.2 hectares). It released photos of rescuers with flashlights digging through dirt and debris in the early hours of the morning.
Some families with young children who were rescued took refuge at a nearby police station. Survivors reportedly said they heard a loud thunderous sound before the ground fell.
Leong Jim Meng, 57, was quoted by the New Straits Times as saying he and his family were woken up by a loud bang “that sounded like an explosion” and felt the earth move.
“My family and I were trapped when dirt covered our tent. We managed to escape to a parking lot and heard a second landslide,” he told the newspaper. He said it was surprising because there had been no heavy rain in the past few days, just a light drizzle.
The campsite is on an organic farm, not far from the mountain resort of Genting Highlands, a popular tourist destination with theme parks and Malaysia’s only casino. Access roads leading to the area have been closed.
The Associated Press
