More than two dozen people are still missing, and search and rescue operations are ongoing for the at least eight confirmed dead after a landslide buried a campsite northeast of Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia.
After receiving a distress call at 2.24am (18:24 GMT) on Friday, emergency services, comprising officials from 12 fire stations and civil defense, claimed they hurried to the site in a hilly area of the state of Selangor.
The number of fatalities has increased to 13, and rescue operations are still ongoing, according to Health Minister Dr. Zaliha Mustafa, who visited the injured in a hospital.
92 persons were present when the accident occurred, according to prior estimates from the National Disaster Management Agency (NADMA).
About 45 minutes northeast of Kuala Lumpur, the country’s capital, the landslide occurred by the side of the road close to an organic farm. Families from the city love to visit the farm since it has three camping areas: one by the river, one with a view of the farm, and one on a hilltop.
The landslide occurred when camper Leong Jim Meng and his family were asleep, according to the New Straits Times newspaper.
The 57-year-old added, “We felt the earth move, and the soil fell down,” adding that their tent was buried in mud but they had managed to get away to the parking lot, where he dialed 911.
Teh Lynn Xuan, 22, a different camper, confirmed to the newspaper that she was staying at the summit location.
She claimed that even after their tent was destroyed in the landslide, she and her mother were still able to escape it by crawling, but that one of her brothers had passed away and the other had been taken to the hospital.
She remarked, “Everything happened too soon.”
After learning about the rescue operations, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim claimed he was “shocked” by the news of the landslide. He stated that he would visit the location later on Friday and that some ministers were already there.
He stated in a statement, “Let’s pray for the people of Malaysia and hope that this mission goes smoothly.
Malaysia is currently in the middle of the monsoon, which is causing frequent downpours.
During the rainy season, landslides frequently occur in the areas close to the capital.
Kuala Lumpur may be seen on a map of Malaysia.
Approximately 150 slopes in Selangor were recognized as being at high risk of landslides in March, with many of them being near the hills to the east of Kuala Lumpur.
In December 1993, a block of units at the Highland Towers condominium complex collapsed due to a sizable landslide that occurred after ten days of severe rain in the same region. The accident claimed 48 lives, making it the deadliest building collapse in Malaysian history.
