KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 17 — The deadly collapse of a slope over the Father's Organic Farm campsite in Batang Kali near Hulu Selangor was believed to be due to the flow of underground water in the area, a Fire and Rescue Department official reportedly said.
Utusan Malaysia reported Datuk Nor Hisham Mohammad, the director of the department's operations and rescue division director, saying the details are still not specific as rescue operations are still being carried out.
“Underground flow is suspected,” he said as quoted by Utusan.
Nor Hisham added that based on the statistics recorded by the department, a total of 220 landslides were recorded from last January to last November across the country.
He said a total of seven deaths were recorded during that period, followed by six injured victims and survivors (ten people).
“Sarawak recorded the highest number of land incidents with 71 cases reported followed by Selangor (42), Sabah (36), Negri Sembilan (23), Pahang (13), Perak (10), Kuala Lumpur (seven), Johor (five), Penang and Melaka (four each), Kedah (three) and Terengganu (two).
“In Genting Highlands, the last landslide incident in our records was last February involving a location at Jalan Km 12 leading to the resort and not far from the Father's Organic Farm campsite,” he said.
Meanwhile, Selangor Deputy Chief of Police, Datuk S. Sasikala Devi said that preliminary information found that the campsite was indeed open to the public for camping.
However, she said the police could not confirm whether the land in question belonged to the campsite operator or not.
“We have not yet taken information from the operator who operates the area. Our focus now is the mission of rescuing the victims who are still trapped in the incident,” she was quoted as saying.
Yesterday, a landslide occurred at the side at around 2am.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi confirmed at the site of the incident that the death toll from the disaster was now 21 people, with a dozen more still missing.
According to earlier reports, the landslide hit several campsites near the Father’s Organic Farm in Batang Kali, on the alternative road to Genting Highlands in Pahang near Gohtong Jaya.
Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail has ordered the indefinite suspension of all outdoor recreational activities in the affected area.
