MALAYSIA: A landslide kills at least three on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur

Record ID: 859972

  • Title: MALAYSIA: A landslide kills at least three on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur
  • Date: 7th December 2008
  • Summary: (SOUNDBITE) (Cantonese) CONDO RESIDENT MR. TAN SAYING: "Feeling scared and running away, leaving this place, temporarily leaving this place." REPORTERS WATER FLOWING AT SOURCE FALLEN TREES (SOUNDBITE) (English) TOWN PLANNER AND ENGINEER, ARIFFIN MAHMUD, SAYING: "By right the government cannot allow the public to build houses beside the hill sides, they can cause danger, it is dangerous for them." BUNGALOW WITH SWIMMING POOL NEXT TO LANDSLIDE AREA SWIMMING POOL CRANE AT WORK VARIOUS RESCUE WORKERS FOREST AREA WITH DAMAGED HOUSE SOLDIERS ARRIVING AT SCENES
  • Embargoed: 22nd December 2008 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Malaysia
  • City:
  • Country: Malaysia
  • Topics: Disasters / Accidents / Natural catastrophes
  • Reuters ID: LVA2VRVHWSN5P8D4O8MKA6X81DLY
  • Aspect Ratio:
  • Story Text: A landslide early Saturday (December 6) morning killed at least three people in a Kuala Lumpur suburb and destroyed several houses, leading police to order the evacuation of 3,000 to 5,000 people, local media said.
    Police confirmed the death of three people and said 15 were injured.
    An estimated 14 homes were buried.
    Abdul Raub who lives on the tenth floor on one of the buildings was forced to evacuate.

    "Basically we are vacating, instructed by police, we are vacating this condo here..because we have no electricity," he said.
    His wife, Norhayati remained worried.

    "Feel sad, sad and scared and don't know what to expect," she said.
    Many people were evacuating their homes until the situation became safer.

    "(I'm) Feeling scared and and running away, leaving here, temporarily leaving here," Mr. Tan said as he left.
    Town planner, Ariffin Mahmud, said the location of the buildings was not safe.

    "By right the government cannot allow the public to build houses beside the hill sides, they can cause danger, it is dangerous for them,"
    he said.
    Authorities were conducting an investigation to determine whether the landslide was caused by negligence or by recent rains.
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