Malaysia landslide kills 12 at campsite, more than 20 missing - Reuters

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 16 (Reuters) - A landslide killed astatine slightest 12 radical portion they slept astatine a campsite successful Malaysia aboriginal connected Friday, officials said, arsenic hunt teams scoured heavy mud and downed trees for much than 20 radical inactive missing.

The landslide successful Selangor state, connected the outskirts of capital, Kuala Lumpur, occurred astir 3 a.m. (1900 GMT), tearing down a hillside into an integrated workplace with camping facilities, the authorities occurrence and rescue section said successful a statement.

Teh Lynn Xuan, 22, said she was camping with 40 others erstwhile the landslide struck. She said 1 of her brothers died, portion different is successful the hospital.

"I heard a large dependable similar thunder, but it was the rocks falling," she told Malay-language regular Berita Haria. "We felt the tents becoming unstable and ungraded was falling astir us. Luckily, I was capable to permission the structure and spell to someplace safer. My parent and I managed to crawl retired and prevention ourselves."

More than 90 radical were caught successful the landslide and 59 person been recovered safe, with 22 inactive missing, according to the occurrence and rescue department.

In summation to the 12 dead, 8 were hospitalised, it said.

One of those taken to the infirmary was pregnant, portion others had injuries ranging from insignificant cuts to a suspected spinal injury, wellness curate Zaliha Mustafa told a quality conference.

District constabulary main Suffian Abdullah said the dormant were each Malaysians and included a kid astir 5 years old.

Almost 400 radical from respective agencies had been deployed, with search-and-rescue efforts ongoing, helium told a quality conference.

The landslide came down from an estimated tallness of 30 metres (100 ft) supra the campsite, and covered an country of astir 1 acre (0.4 hectare), according to the occurrence and rescue department's authorities director.

Footage from section tv showed the aftermath of a ample landslide done a steep, forested country beside a road, portion different images connected societal media showed rescue workers clambering implicit heavy mud, ample trees and different debris.

"I commune that the missing victims tin beryllium recovered safely soon," Malaysia's curate of earthy resources, situation and clime change, Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, tweeted connected Friday morning, 1 of respective ministers who were heading to the scene. "The rescue squad has been moving since early. I'm going down determination today."

The catastrophe struck astir 50km (30 miles) northbound of Kuala Lumpur successful Batang Kali town, conscionable extracurricular the fashionable hilltop country of Genting Highlands, an country known for its resorts, waterfalls and earthy beauty.

News bureau Bernama tweeted that each campsites and h2o recreation areas astir Batang Kali had been ordered to adjacent instantly until further notice, citing the curate of location affairs.

Pictures posted connected the Father's Organic Farm Facebook leafage amusement a farmhouse successful a tiny valley, with a ample country wherever tents tin beryllium acceptable up.

Selangor is the country's astir affluent authorities and has suffered landslides before, often attributed to wood and onshore clearance.

The portion is successful its rainy play but nary dense rainfall oregon earthquakes were recorded overnight.

A twelvemonth ago, astir 21,000 radical were displaced by flooding from torrential rainfall successful 7 states crossed the country.

Reporting by Rozanna Latiff, Angie Teo, Yantoultra Ngui and Hasnoor Hussein; Writing by Lincoln Feast; Editing by Ed Davies and Gerry Doyle

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