Malaysia landslide: Four more bodies found under 7m of soil, one child still missing

HULU SELANGOR - The bodies of four more victims were discovered under 7m of soil at the riverside section of the site of a landslide in Batang Kali, near popular tourist destination Genting Highlands.

This takes the total death toll so far to 30. One more child victim is still missing.

“The four bodies – a male child and a female child along with a male adult and a female adult – were discovered in one camp. The bodies were intact but had started to decompose,” said Hulu Selangor police officer Suffian Abdullah on Thursday.

The bodies went sent to Sungai Buloh Hospital for post-mortem and identification. “We cannot confirm yet whether all of them are from the same family, as the identification process has not been done,” he said.

Previous reports stated that 94 people were affected by the landslide at Father’s Organic Farm, which

occurred in the early hours last Friday

. But the number has been revised to 92, said Selangor police chief Arjunaidi Mohamed.

“There was an overlap of registrations at the farm,” he said.

“We actually discovered the error a few days ago, but we did not rush to announce it, as we needed to do extensive checks.

“We are satisfied the official overall number of victims is 92,” he told reporters on Thursday, adding that there is only one more victim yet to be found.

“We are still looking for one more victim – a male child,” he said.

The search and rescue operation on Thursday, which involved 128 personnel, 11 excavators and seven K-9 dogs, will continue to focus on the hillview and riverside sections.

Father’s Organic Farm’s operators said they will not shirk any responsibility for the tragic incident that hit its campsite.

“As the operator, we will not run away from our responsibilities despite the landslide occurring on another piece of land which belongs to the government,” said Mr Frankie Tan, who is the farm’s operator.

“It is about 2km to 3km away from the farmland we leased. The site (of the landslide) was a large forest that had never been developed,” he said during an interview with a Chinese daily.

Mr Tan also said he was facing immense pressure following the tragedy.

“Some survivors and family members cursed at me at the site – I fully understand. All I can do is bow my head in apology,” he said.

He also expressed his remorse to victims and their families, adding that he would assist them in any way possible.

The Selangor government will conduct a study to determine if there is a need to regulate camping activities in the state, said Selangor Menteri Besar Amirudin Shari.

“We will call upon all organisers and owners of camping sites to discuss the matter so we can draw up guidelines for camping and campsite management,” he said.

Currently, businesses are monitored through licensing, planning orders and building plans as well as enforcement, but there are no specific regulations for campsite activities, as these are activities run by hotel and resort owners.

“We have to learn from this bitter experience and draw up guidelines to ensure the safety of people engaging in outdoor activities, including hiking and fishing.”

He added: “We are looking at March to table the enactment, if needed.

“If not, we are expecting to finalise the camping guidelines in February,” Datuk Seri Amirudin said. THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK