BATANG KALI: The death toll from the landslide at campsites in the area is now 21, Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi announced this evening.
In a statement to the media at the site at 7pm today, Zahid said rescuers were now looking for the remaining 12 victims. “Let’s hope that there are victims who are safe,” he said.
Based on the initial investigation, Zahid said the landslide could have been triggered by two water movements underneath the soil.
The affected campsites are Hillview, Farmview, and Riverside, which authorities named as Sector A, B, and C. Hillview and Farmview were wiped out, with 16 bodies found in Sector A.
The total number of landslide victims, based on the registration record by the operator, is 94.
Education minister Fadhlina Sidek has confirmed that teachers and students from the same school were among the victims in the tragedy. However, none of them were there on an official school trip.
The occupational safety and health department will conduct further investigations to determine if work activity had caused the landslide, human resources minister V Sivakumar said.
Investigations will begin as soon as the department gets permission to enter the location. However, as a natural disaster, the case might be out of the department’s jurisdiction.
