KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 17 (NNN-Bernama) — A total of 21 victims have died after a landslide hit a campsite in Malaysia early Friday morning, Deputy Prime Minister Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said.
He said 12 more are still missing and search and rescue (SAR) efforts by rescue agencies are ongoing.
He said the police and Fire and Rescue Department, as well as all enforcement agencies, have been fully mobilised for the SAR operation.
“As the Federal Disaster Management Committee chairman, I, along with all agency heads here will monitor the situation from time to time and will update the media and the public on developments,” he said after a visit to the scene at the Fathers’ Organic Farm camping site in Batang Kali.
The landslide which happened at 2.42 am on Friday involved a total of 94 individuals including campers and campsite workers.
As of Friday night, 12 more victims are reported missing while 21 bodies have been found and 61 rescued out of a total of 94 victims in the incident.
Malaysia’s Foreign Ministry confirmed that three Singaporeans were among those rescued in the incident.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim announced an immediate aid of RM10,000 ((US$1=RM4.42)) for each family of victims who died in the landslide tragedy
He also said a RM1,000 compassionate aid will be given to household heads of survivors.
In the incident at 2.42 am today, a swathe of landmass measuring 300 metres long and 70 metres high crashed into the Father’s Organic Farm camping site.
— NNN-BERNAMA