Malaysia landslide death toll rises to 24 as search for missing continues

Seven children lose their lives in campsite tragedy

At least 24 people have now died after rescue workers on Saturday recovered the bodies of one woman and two children from the landslide at an unlicensed campsite near Kuala Lumpur.

The huge mudslide, triggered by heavy rainfall, occured in Batang Kali, a popular hilly area about 50km (31 miles) north of Kuala Lumpur on Friday. Seven children were among the dead.

According to reports, 94 people were sleeping at the camping site when the landslide occured and covered about three acres.

Officials said that nine people are missing. The survivors are in a stable condition, according to Malaysia’s health minister, Zaliha Mustafa.

A total of 135 responders and seven rescue dogs resumed scouring through thick mud and downed trees around 0830 local time [0030 GMT] on Saturday. Rescuers said people may have found pockets of air among the piles of branches, rocks, and mud.

Seven people were taken to the hospital on Friday, and dozens more were rescued unharmed. A mother and her toddler were found on Friday hugging each other, rescuers told the media.

While the cause of the disaster remains unknown, experts speculate it may have been due to underground water movement and unstable soil during the monsoon rains.

“We felt the tents becoming unstable and soil was falling around us. Luckily, I was able to leave the tent and go to some place safer. My mother and I managed to crawl out and save ourselves,” 22-year-old Teh Lynn Xuan, who was camping with several others at the site when the landslide struck, told Channel News Asia.

The campground is a popular recreational site and had reportedly been operating illegally for the last two years, despite only having permission to run the farm.

Following the disaster, the Malaysian government has ordered all campsites near rivers, waterfalls, and hillsides to be closed for a week for safety assessments.

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has said RM10,000 (£1861) will be given to the families of those who died.