Landslide off Genting: Campsite operating without licence; death toll rises to 16

BATANG KALI – At least 16 people were killed with around 17 others feared trapped in a landslide in Malaysia on Friday, the Malaysian authorities said.

The Ministry of Local Government Development said on Twitter that 61 victims have been rescued from the campsite at Father’s Organic Farm in the Batang Kali area, on the outskirts of capital Kuala Lumpur.

Local Government Development Minister Nga Kor Ming said the campsite, was illegally operating without the license.

He said the site operators had obtained permission for only farming organic vegetable crops. No approval for camping activities was given by the local authorities.

“I have instructed 155 local councils to check and vacate all the campsites along the high risk areas including waterfall, river and hill side areas,” he said, adding that the penalties may amount to a RM50,000 (S$15,400) fine and a prison term of up to three years.

Visiting the site, Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail asked for a halt to all camping activities until further notice.

“We’re asking all organisers of camping sites around here not to accept any more visitors for the time being,” he told reporters, noting that camping activities are popular during the school holidays.

Among those confirmed dead were three children - including one five-year-old boy - seven women and two men, Selangor chief minister Amirudin Shari said.

A total 94 victims were affected, most of them local residents including workers at the campsite, Hulu Selangor district police chief Suffian Abdullah said.

Among those rescued were 20 teachers and their families from Chinese primary school Mun Choong in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia’s Berita Harian daily quoted an official from the school as saying.

Those rescued have been sent to a police station in Selangor, with three Singaporeans among those saved, according to Malaysian daily China Press.

The campsite is located in Jalan Batang Kali-Jalan Genting Highlands, less than 15km away from the peak of Genting Highlands.

The camp, located about 4.5km or a 10-minute drive from Gohtong Jaya - a town below the Genting Highlands peak - is en route to the popular travel destination that houses a casino and theme park, offers eco-tourism packages including educational guides on organic vegetable farming.

Roads to the site have been shut to allow easier access for trucks ferrying tractors and personnel for rescue operations.

“All the victims are believed to have entered last Wednesday to carry out camping activities,” Chief Superintendent Suffian told reporters on Friday.

 

He noted that the Fire and Rescue Department has brought in K-9 dogs units in the search for the remaining victims.

Malaysia Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said he was shocked by news of the landslide and had instructed the government departments to conduct the search and rescue mission in an orderly and systematic manner. He added he plans to make a visit to the location of the accident at night.

Selangor’s Fire and Rescue Department director Norazam Khamis said the distress call was received at 2.24am before rescue teams began operations.

According to initial reports of the operation commander, the height of the ruins is estimated at 30m, he said.

“The landslide is about one acre wide and fell onto the campsite,” Mr Norazam said when contacted on Friday.

He added that personnel from multiple fire stations, as well as the Special Tactical Operation and Rescue Team (STORM) have also been deployed to the site for ongoing search and rescue operations.

 

On Tuesday, the Fire Department’s director-general Mohammad Hamdan Wahid advised Malaysians and local authorities to temporarily stop recreational activities, especially in high-risk areas such as mountains, hills, rivers and beaches, during monsoon season, The Star daily reported.

“We understand this year-end holiday period, many families are definitely planning leisure activities in certain areas, but we hope that these can be stopped for a while for now.”

Malaysian Works Minister Alexander Nanta Linggi on Thursday said the ministry is closely monitoring federal roads prone to high-risk flooding that can lead to slope failures in the current wet season.

He said the ministry is working with agencies including the Mineral and Geoscience Department Malaysia, Nadma and other relevant bodies as landslides are natural disasters under their purview.

Around 1,045 slopes have been identified as “very high risk”, said Malaysia’s Public Works Department (JKR) on Thursday, adding that “Pahang, Perak, Kelantan and Selangor have been identified as the states with the most number of hotspots for slope failures”.

JKR said it is available to mobilise anytime to ensure appropriate precautions, such as warning signage and traffic management, are taken.

 

Video kenderaan dan khemah tertimbus akibat kejadian tanah runtuh di tapak perkhemahan berhampiran sebuah ladang organik di Father’s Organic Farm , Batang Kali, Selangor.

Menurut maklumat ada kemalangan jiwa namun tidak disahkan lagi oleh pihak berkuasa.

Video : Bomba pic.twitter.com/MLUJT9jqsm

— Mohd Redzuan Abdul Manap (@redzuanNewsMPB) December 16, 2022