12 missing after devastating landslide in Malaysia campground hunt

The search for the remaining 12 campers buried by a catastrophic landslide in Malaysia on Friday, December 16, at an unregistered campground resumed for a second day, but heavy nighttime rains hindered the effort, officials said.

At least 21 people, including five children, were killed when a landslide tore down tents in Batang Kali, a popular highland location approximately 50 kilometers (30 miles) north of Kuala Lumpur.

According to the fire and rescue agency, 61 of the 94 persons caught in the mudslide have been rescued, while 12 remain missing.

Norazam Khamis, chief of the Selangor state fire and rescue department, stated that search and rescue activities were paused overnight owing to heavy rains and restarted at 8:30 a.m. (0030 GMT) on Saturday, December 17 with the support of excavators and seven canines.

“We must be cautious since there is tremendous water flow from the surface and within the earth,” he added. “This hampers search activities because the ground is so soft.”

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Norazam informed reporters that the odds of the twelve missing persons surviving the lack of air and heavy earth are minimal.

Initial research revealed that a 450,000-cubic-meter earth embankment had fallen. The earth dropped from an estimated height of 30 meters (100 feet) and covered approximately one acre (0.4 hectares).

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim told reporters late Friday that the government will offer $10,000 ($2,261.42) in relief to the family of each individual died in the disaster, while each home of survivors would get $1,000.

Following the accident, the Forestry Department in various states ordered the closure of high-risk campsites and hiking and off-road driving paths.

In Malaysia, landslides are widespread, although normally only occur after significant rainfall. Approximately 21,000 individuals were uprooted by severe rainfall in seven states last year.