13 dead in Malaysia landslide

The landslide occurred at a popular campsite in the area, with 60 people having already been rescued, Xinhua news agency quoted the fire and rescue department as saying.

Kuala Lumpur: At least 13 people have been killed and several others remained trapped following a landslide in Malaysia‘s Selangor state on Friday, authorities said.

The landslide occurred at a popular campsite in the area, with 60 people having already been rescued, Xinhua news agency quoted the fire and rescue department as saying.

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Selangor state fire and rescue department head Norazam Khamis said search and rescue efforts are underway for the trapped people, with at least 12 teams searching for survivors.

Earlier in the day, the department had estimated that 79 people were trapped when the disaster happened.

But, Malaysia’s National Disaster Management Agency later said that 92 people were believed to be trapped.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said he will visit the site later in the day and has ordered all relevant government bodies to conduct a thorough and systematic search and rescue effort.

Currently, search and rescue operation is being carried out with the assistance of the K9 tracker dog unit, the Emergency Medical Rescue Service from the Sentosa, Ampang, Pandan, Kota Anggerik, Kajang dan Andalas fire and rescue stations, and the Special Tactical Operation and Rescue Team, according to Bernama, the Malaysian National News Agency.

The country is currently being hit with the northeast monsoon which lasts from November to March with heavy rain being recorded in several states including Selangor, according to the country’s meteorological department.