Massive landslide at Bukit Antarabangsa

One person is still missing while four have been found dead, said Selangor Chief Police Officer Deputy Comm Datuk Khalid Abu Bakar.

The four others who had previously thought to be missing had escaped the landslide and have contacted the police.

Three of the dead have been identified as veterinarian Dr N. Yogeswari, 40, accountant Ng Yee Ping, 30, and Shaiful Khas Shaharuddin, 20. An Indonesian woman was pulled out of the rubble at around 6.30pm Saturday. Her identity has not been confirmed.

A total of 93 people have been rescued.

Khalid said the search and rescue operation will continue for 24 hours a day unless the rain gets too heavy.

“The rain is not helping. The area covered by landslide is more than 10 acres,” he told reporters at a press conference near the site on Saturday afternoon. Those who have been evacuated were sent to Sekolah Kebangsaan Ulu Klang. Food and shelter will be provided there.

Khalid said as of now, there are 14 teams with dogs and electronic equipment trying to locate the missing victims. “After 5pm, it will be 12 hours (since the incident happened early Saturday morning). We will start using heavy machinery to find those still stuck in the rubble.

“We’ll take careful measures when looking for the victims,” he said.

When asked if the rain would make it more dangerous, he said: “I don’t know. I hope there are no more landslides but I cannot be sure.”

The landslide cut off access by the main road to the residential areas at Bukit Antarabangsa, trapping hundreds of residents.

As of 2.20pm Saturday, more than 2,000 residents have been evacuated, said Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan.

On Saturday morning, Khalid said the military had been roped in to create a slip road to enable trapped victims to be evacuated from the area.

As of 6pm Saturday the police had airlifted 13 people who needed immediate medical attention including two pregnant women, two elderly women with weak hearts, a man who is a stroke patient and another man who needed haemodialysis treatment.

The last man is said to have made it to the hospital just in time for his treatment.

Also affected are 14 houses in Jalan Bukit Mewah and Jalan Mewah Utama.

The 15 injured people and the remains of the dead have been rushed to the Kuala Lumpur Hospital.

There are more than 600 people involved in the search and rescue operations from the military, Civil Defence Department, Special Malaysia Disaster Assistance and Rescue (Smart) team, Fire & Rescue department, Red Crescent, hospitals and the Ampang Jaya Municipal Council.

According to BERNAMA, the injured were given first aid at the Addinniah surau before being sent to hospital. At least 12 ambulances were spotted at the scene on Saturday morning.

Bukit Antarabangsa assemblyman Azmin Ali said at the scene that earth movement continued to take place and that electricity supply to several housing estates in Bukit Antarabangsa was disrupted.

The site of Saturday's landslide is believed to be 1.5km from the Highland Towers apartment building which collapsed on Dec 11, 1993, killing 48 people.

- The Star