Malaysia landslide: At least 16 campers dead and more missing - BBC

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Malaysia: Authorities searching for survivors aft deadly landslide astatine campsite

At slightest 16 radical person been killed and much stay missing aft a landslide enveloped a campsite successful Malaysia's Selangor state, officials say.

Campers were sleeping successful their tents erstwhile a landslide occurred astir 03:00 Friday (19:00 GMT Thursday) astatine the workplace enactment successful Batang Kali township.

More than 90 radical - including children - had been camped astatine the base.

Hundreds of rescuers were astatine the country connected Friday greeting wading done mud to effort to find survivors.

The landslide began up a slope much than 30m (100ft) higher than the campsite, and rolled done an acre of land.

Pictures posted online by Malaysia's rescue agencies showed crews of helmeted workers clambering up uneven ground, past uprooted trees and different debris.

By Friday afternoon, authorities had rescued much than 60 radical but 17 were inactive missing, they said.

One camper Teh Lynn Xuan said she and her parent had survived, but her member had died and different member had been taken to infirmary with injuries.

"We felt the tents becoming unstable and ungraded was falling astir us," she told Malaysian paper Berita Harian.

"My parent and I managed to crawl retired and prevention ourselves."

She had been camping with a large radical of much than 40 people.

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim was owed to get astatine the tract aboriginal connected Friday, pursuing visits from respective different authorities ministers.

He offered condolences to the victims and prayers for much survivors connected his Facebook page.

It's unclear what triggered the landslide, which happened successful a forested hilly country adjacent to the broadside of the roadworthy successful Batang Kali, adjacent to the holidaying Genting Highland portion and astir 50km (30 miles) northbound of Kuala Lumpur.

Locals reported determination had been immoderate airy rain, but nary dense downpours oregon immoderate earthquakes successful the pb up to it.

On Friday afternoon, authorities besides issued an bid for the evacuation of each campgrounds connected riverbanks and different high-risk areas for the adjacent 7 days.

Image source, MALAYSIA CIVIL DEFENCE FORCE/TWITTER

Image caption,

Rescuers person been shovelling mud to get to the victims feared trapped successful the ground

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