KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) – The search for the remaining 12 campers caught in Friday’s deadly landslide at an unlicensed campsite in Malaysia continued for a second day after an overnight halt due to bad weather, officials said.
At least 21 people, including five children, were killed after a landslide in Batang Kali, a popular hilly area about 50 km (30 miles) north of Kuala Lumpur, tore down while people slept in their tents.
There were 94 people caught in the landslide but 61 were safe, with 12 still missing, according to the Malaysia National Disaster Management Agency.
Search and rescue operations were suspended around 12.00 a.m. on Saturday due to unfavourable weather and resumed at 7.00 a.m. (2300 GMT), the fire and rescue department said.
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim told reporters late on Friday the government would provide 10,000 ringgit ($2,261.42) in aid to families of every person killed in the tragedy, while survivors would receive 1,000 ringgit per household.
An initial investigation showed an embankment of about 450,000 cubic metres of earth had collapsed. The earth fell from an estimated height of 30 metres (100 ft) and covered an area of about an acre (0.4 hectares).
The Forestry Department in several states ordered the closure of campsites considered as high risk, as well as hiking and off-road driving trails following the disaster.
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.
($1 = 4.4220 ringgit)
(Reporting by Mei Mei Chu; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman)
