5 children among at least 21 killed in Genting Highlands landslide; dozen still missing

KUALA LUMPUR — At least 21 people were killed in a fatal landslide that swept through a campsite in Malaysia early on Friday (Dec 16), with search teams rescuing around 60 people after scouring thick mud and downed trees to look for the missing.

Those rescued included three Singaporeans.

The landslide in Selangor state, on the outskirts of capital, Kuala Lumpur, occurred at about 3am on the side of a road near an organic farm with camping facilities, the state fire and rescue department said in a statement.

Among the victims were five children and 12 women, according to the fire and rescue department.

A department spokesman said the remains of a woman and child locked in an embrace were among the dead bodies found.

"The bodies believed to be that of a mother and child were found hugging each other there," the spokesman said.

There were 94 people caught in the landslide but 61 were safe, with 12 missing, according to the Malaysia National Disaster Management Agency.

Malaysia’s Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said that 21 deaths have been confirmed as of 7.10pm on Friday.

Seven people were injured, including a pregnant woman, while others had wounds ranging from minor cuts to a suspected spinal injury, Health Minister Zaliha Mustafa said.

District police chief Suffian Abdullah earlier said the dead were Malaysians and included a child about five years old.

Almost 400 people from several agencies had been deployed, with search-and-rescue efforts ongoing, he told a news conference.

The landslide fell from an estimated height of 30m above the campsite, and covered an area of about 0.4 hectare, according to the fire and rescue department's state director.

The farm owners did not immediately respond to a request by Reuters for comment. Two of its workers, who are Myanmar nationals, told Reuters they managed to escape with others after being roused by neighbours, just minutes before the farmhouse was destroyed.

"I have never seen such a horrible incident. I feel so shocked and terrified," said 35-year-old Thawng Uk.

"We could bring nothing at all as we urgently ran ... We are asking around where to get shelter and food."

His colleague Kung Tuang, 31, said he was afraid they would lose their jobs now that the farm had been destroyed.

An initial investigation showed an embankment of about 450,000 cubic metres of earth had collapsed, according to Minister of Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change, Mr Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad.

Ms Teh Lynn Xuan, 22, said she was camping with 40 others when the landslide struck. She said one of her brothers died while another is in the hospital.

"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. Luckily, I was able to leave the tent and go to someplace safer. My mother and I managed to crawl out and save ourselves."

The disaster struck about 50km north of Kuala Lumpur in Batang Kali town, just outside the popular hilltop area of Genting Highlands, an area known for its resorts, waterfalls 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.

Landslides are common in Malaysia, but typically only after heavy rains. Flooding occurs often, with about 21,000 people displaced last year by torrential rain in seven states.

Leong Jim Meng, a camper, said he had not expected a landslide as there had been only light drizzle in recent days.

"My family and I were trapped when the soil covered our tent," he told Malay-language daily Berita Harian. "We managed to run to the parking lot and called the authorities. They arrived quite quickly, about 30 minutes later."  AGENCIES