‘The sound got louder... but it was too late to run’: Family from S’pore recalls horror of landslide

SINGAPORE - It was about 2am on Friday, and Singapore permanent resident Tee Yeow King was settling down to sleep in his tent when he heard a loud rumbling sound.

He knew something was terribly wrong. All he could do was rouse his wife and grab his children, and shield them with his body.

Speaking to The Straits Times from Hulu Yam Bharu police station in Selangor, Malaysia, Mr Tee, 37, a Malaysian sales manager, said: “The sound got louder, and it was nothing like I had heard before. It sounded like trees were being ripped apart and rocks crumbling.

“The sound seemed to be headed our way, but it was too late to run out of our tent in the dark. It all happened very quickly.

“We were very lucky.”

They prayed for the best while taking cover in their tent. After a few minutes, it all went quiet.

Mr Tee and his 37-year-old Singaporean wife and two children, a son, aged seven, and a three-year-old daughter, were miraculously unhurt.

At least 21 people have so far been found dead

after the deadly landslide, the Malaysian authorities said.

The Tees’ tent at Father’s Organic Farm, in Batang Kali near Genting Highlands, on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur, was one of two that were untouched by the landslide.

Three other tents located at the highest level of the camping ground were flattened.

There are three levels at the campsite where visitors are allowed to pitch tents.

Mr Tee said he and his family were on holiday with some Malaysian friends. Using torchlights, they helped one family whose child was partially buried in the mud.

“We became scared again when we heard a second loud sound,” he recalled.

By 3am, some of the survivors, including the Tees, were evacuated to a more secure area nearby. There, paramedics examined them to see who needed urgent medical care.

At around 6.30am, they were taken to the Hulu Yam Bharu police station.

There, police officers got food for the group and shoes for those who lost them in the deadly landslide. The children were also given toys and entertained by the officers, said Mr Tee.

A police officer from the station said: “They (Mr Tee’s family) are safe and well. We require their help in making a police report before they are allowed to leave the station.”

Hulu Yam Bharu police station is roughly 15km from Father’s Organic Farm.

Thanking the Malaysian authorities and rescuers, Mr Tee added: “Their response was really fast, and they tried their best to help and comfort us.”

Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said on Friday evening that three Singaporeans were among those rescued by the Malaysian authorities. The three are Mr Tee’s wife and children.

The Singapore High Commission in Kuala Lumpur is in touch with the three Singaporeans, and has reached out to those who have registered with the ministry to be in Genting Highlands.

MFA added that Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan have penned condolence letters to their Malaysian counterparts.

In the letter to Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, PM Lee said he was deeply saddened to hear of the landslide and conveyed the Singapore Government’s heartfelt condolences and sympathies to all those affected, and wished the injured a swift recovery.

Both PM Lee and Dr Balakrishnan thanked their Malaysian counterparts for supporting the Singaporeans affected by the landslide.

PM Lee added: “The Singapore Civil Defence Force stands ready to assist with Malaysia’s ongoing search and rescue efforts if necessary.”

MFA said the Singapore Government is closely monitoring the situation and that those in need of consular assistance may contact the Singapore High Commission in Kuala Lumpur (+60-3-2161-6277 or +60-16-661-0400), the Singapore Consulate-General in Johor Bahru (+60-7-226-5012 or +60-19-791-1166) or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Duty Office (6379-8800 or 6379-8855).