24 dead as landslide tears through campsite killing people as they slept | The Sun
AT least 24 people have been killed after a massive landslide tore through a holiday campsite.
Rescuers are still scrambling to find survivors buried under the mound of dirt after mud swept through the site in Malaysia as campers slept.
Up to 400 people have taken part in the search effort with nine people still registered as missing.
So far, officials have recovered bodies including 12 women and 6 children.
Two of the dead were found locked in an embrace, according to the state fire department chief.
While at least seven people have been hospitalised and dozens more were rescued unharmed, said district police chief Suffian Abdulla.
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Roughly 94 people were thought to be sleeping on an organic farm when the dirt tumbled from a road on Friday morning.
Of the those caught in the slide, 61 were safe, according to the Selangor state fire and rescue department.
State fire and rescue chief Norazam Khamis said chances of more survivors being found were slim, given the weight of mud pressing down on the site.
Search and rescue operations resumed for a second day earlier on Saturday, after a halt overnight due to heavy rain.
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A total of 135 responders and seven rescue dogs resumed scouring through thick mud and downed trees around 8.30 a.m, with the assistance of excavators, Norazam told reporters.
An initial investigation showed an embankment of about 450,000 cubic metres of earth had collapsed onto top of the site.
The earth fell from an estimated height of 30 metres and covered an area of roughly an acre of land, reports suggests.
Survivors are in stable condition and will also receive trauma counselling, said Health Minister Zaliha Mustafa.
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said on Friday the government would provide aid to families of every person killed , while survivors would receive money from the state.
According to local government development minister Nga Kor Ming, the camp site had been operating illegally and may now face prosecution.
He claimed that the operator had government approval to run an organic farm, but was not permitted to run camping activities.
If found guilty of violating the law, the owner could be jailed up to three years or fined up £9,306, BBC reports.
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Following the disaster, the Forestry Department in several states have now ordered the closure of campsites and hiking and off-road trails considered as high risk.
The search for survivors is still ongoing.
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