At least 21 campers are deceased and many are missing
A tourist campground in Malaysia’s Selangor state was struck by a landslide, killing at least 21 people, including children.
At the time of the landslide, which occurred around a farm stay in the Batang Kali township at 03:30 on Friday, families were sleeping in tents (19:00 GMT Thursday).
On Friday, hundreds of rescuers combed through the muck in search of survivors.
At least 51 people and 30 children have made reservations for overnight stays, according to the farm’s managers.
According to local media, 14 individuals are still missing, and roughly 700 officials are helping with the search and rescue, according to Malaysian authorities.
At least four children were among those killed, according to the Malaysian fire department.
According to a story in the New Straits Times, there were more than 20 primary school teachers and members of their families camping there.
“A tragic disaster” occurred when the campsite was struck by a steep slope of 30 meters (100 feet), according to Malaysia’s fire and rescue department. Officials from the government say that the landslide affected dirt covering approximately 450,000 square meters.
Nga Kor Ming, the local government development minister, said that the campground had been operating unlawfully.
Mr. Nga said that he had issued an order for the immediate closure of seven days of all “high-risk” camping areas in Malaysia, including those near rivers, waterfalls, and hillsides.
Deputy Prime Minister Zahid Hamidi reaffirmed the warning, while adding forecasting worsening weather over the following three days.
He begged us to remember what had happened today:
Uncertainty surrounds the cause of the landslide, which occurred in Batang Kali, a forested, hilly location near the Genting Highland region.
Locals noticed a little light rain but no significant downpours or tremors before it. However, Malaysia is currently experiencing the monsoon season.
Groups of workers wearing helmets were seen scurrying across treacherous terrain and around fallen trees and other debris in online photos provided by rescue organizations in Malaysia.
Lynn Xuan, a camper, claimed that while she and her mother had survived, her brother had passed away, and her brother had hurt and brought to the hospital.
She told the Malaysian daily Berita Harian, “We felt the tents become unstable, and soil was falling around us.
I could crawl out and save myself, along with my mother.
She claimed that a large group of more than 40 people had been camping with them.
Leong Jim Meng, a different survivor, claimed that an explosion awakened him and his family before the ground started to shift.
They managed to escape after being briefly trapped in their tents by debris.
Too dark, he added, to clearly see what was happening.
Following visits from several other government ministers, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim scheduled to appear at the location later on Friday.
He expressed sympathy for the victims on his Facebook page and prayed for more survivors.