At least 19 people, including several children, have died after a landslide hit a holiday camp in Malaysia’s Selangor state.
Around 03:00 on Friday (19:00 Japan time on Thursday), a landslide occurred on an agricultural farm in Batang Kali township, and families were sleeping in tents.
Hundreds of rescue workers dug up the mud on Friday to find survivors.
Farm officials said at least 30 children and 51 adults were checking in overnight.
Malaysian authorities said 14 people were still missing and about 700 staff were conducting search and rescue operations, according to local media.
At least four children are among the dead, according to the Malaysian fire department.
The New Straits Times reported that more than 20 elementary school teachers and their families were in attendance.
Local Government Development Minister Nga Kor Ming reported that the campground was operating illegally.
Nga also said he had ordered the immediate closure of “high-risk” campsites near rivers, waterfalls and hills for seven days.
A map showing where landslides occurred in Malaysia.
The cause of the landslide that occurred on the mountain pass in the Batang Kali forest area near the Genting Highlands is unknown.
Locals said it was raining lightly, but there were no heavy rains or earthquakes in advance. But in Malaysia, the monsoon season is upon us.
The landslide started in a hilly area more than 30m from the campsite and spread over an acre.
Images posted online by Malaysian rescuers show workers in hard hats climbing a rough terrain amid uprooted trees and other debris.
One of the campers, Thay Linh Suan, said he and his mother survived but his brother died and another was injured and taken to hospital.
“I could feel the tent becoming unstable and the surroundings collapsing,” he told the Malaysian newspaper Berita Harian.
“My mother and I managed to crawl out and survive.”
I was camping with a large family of over 40 people.
Another survivor, Leong Jim Meng, said he heard an explosion before the ground began to move.
So he and his family woke up, temporarily trapped inside the tent by the rubble, but managed to get out.
“It’s dark and I can’t really see what’s going on,” he said.
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim was expected to arrive on the scene late Friday, following other government ministers.
On his Facebook page, he expressed his condolences to his victims and hopes there are more survivors.
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