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Landslide In Malaysia Campsite Death Toll Rises To 23
(CTN NEWS) – On Saturday, as the death toll from a landslide at a Malaysian campsite grew to 23, including six children, rescue crews searched muddy terrain for survivors and dead.
There was a slim chance of finding survivors in the mud and debris a day after the disaster, according to Norazam Khamis, director of the state fire and rescue department.
Operasi SAR #TragediBatangKali kali bersambung pada 8 pagi tadi. Menurut Pengarah JBPM Selangor, Datuk Norazam Khamis, operasi fokus kepada dua kawasan iaitu Kem Farmview dan Riverside. Setakat ini 12 individu masih hilang @501Awani pic.twitter.com/2gxcRu40FY
— Hasimi Muhamad (@HasimiM) December 17, 2022
When the landslide hit, more than 90 people were at a campsite near a mountain casino resort, most of them asleep.
61 people were found safe or rescued, according to authorities.
A rescuer crew member pats a sniffer dog being used to aid in the search for victims of the landslide in Batang Kali, Selangor, Malaysia, December 17, 2022. REUTERS/Hasnoor Hussain
Norazam told reporters that two victims were “believed to be a mother and her child buried under the ground in a state of embrace”.
According to authorities, the farm did not have a license to operate a campsite, and its operators would be punished for breaking the law.
Arahan telah dikeluarkan oleh Jawatankuasa Pengurusan Bencana Negeri Selangor untuk semua tempat perkelahan dan perkhemahan di Selangor ditutup selama 7 hari bermula 17 Disember 2022. pic.twitter.com/qZ9LQFKWZ3
— Amirudin Shari (@AmirudinShari) December 16, 2022
In a visit to the area late Friday, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim announced financial aid would be provided to the families of those killed or injured.
All picnic and camping sites in Selangor state will be closed for a week, according to chief minister Amirudin Shari.
After heavy rains, which are common at the end of the year in Malaysia, landslides are common.
Damaged cars are seen amongst the debris during a rescue and evacuation operation following a landslide at a campsite in Batang Kali, Selangor state, on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, December 16, 2022, in this picture obtained from social media. Korporat JBPM/via REUTERS
On the night of the disaster, heavy rains were not recorded in the area.
Hillside development is subject to strict government regulations. Heavy rains triggered a massive landslide that buried four homes in a Kuala Lumpur suburb in March.
48 people were killed when a 12-storey residential building outside the capital collapsed because of a mudslide caused by heavy rain in 1993.
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