TLDR: Ampang Landslide Claimed 4 Lives, Only 1 Survivor
The remains of the last victim was recovered by rescuers at 1.59am.
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A landslide in the housing area of Taman Bukit Permai 2, Ampang on 10 March affected 15 homes and 10 cars.
New Straits Times reported that a loud bang was heard by residents in the area and it caused two landslides in succession during the heavy rain.
According to the Selangor Fire and Rescue Department director Norazam Khamis, they received a distress call at 5.54pm and a fire engine with nine personnel from the Pandan fire station was deployed to the scene.
Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari tweeted that Ampang Jaya Municipal Council (MPAJ) was also involved in the rescue efforts.
Menerima maklumat kejadian tanah runtuh di Taman Bukit Permai, Ampang. Berdasarkan maklumat awal 4 org mangsa terperangkap manakala 15 buah rumah dan 10 buah kenderaan terjejas. Pihak MPAJ sedang membantu pasukan bomba bagi kerja menyelamat. Kita berdoa agar semua mangsa selamat.
— Amirudin Shari (@AmirudinShari) March 10, 2022
Rescuers found out that five people were trapped: 3 were buried alive while 2 managed to be saved by the firefighters.
The Malay Mail reported that the first victim was an 84-year-old elderly man who was rescued at 6.54pm and only sustained light injuries.
The second victim, who’s believed to be his wife, was found dead at 7.53pm but her body was pulled out at 9.15pm.
The active landslide made the rescue operation tricky.
In a video by Kosmo, rescuers including the driver of the backhoe quickly dashed away from the site when the soil began moving at a fast speed.
@kosmoonline Pergerakan tanah masih berlaku di kawasan tanah runtuh di Ampang sebenar tadi. Kredit APMM KL #tanahruntuh #trendingnewsmalaysia #beritatiktok ♬ original sound – Kosmo!
New Straits Times reported that the body of the third victim, a male resident, was found at 10.58pm.
Ampang Jaya police chief Assistant Commissioner Mohamad Farouk Eshak confirmed that rescuers found the bodies of the last two victims, both males, at 12.46am and 1.59am respectively. One of them was a contract worker of Pengurusan Air Selangor Sdn Bhd (Air Selangor).
All of the victims have been brought to Ampang Hospital but have yet to be identified.
Norazam said they would continue using the K-9 Unit tracker dogs at the site of the landslide to ensure there are no other victims caught in the rubble.
***Pasukan Khas Pertahanan Awam
— Official Angkatan Pertahanan Awam Malaysia (@APMtwiter) March 11, 2022
Pasukan Khas Pertahanan Awam (PASPA), diturunkan bagi membantu Operasi SAR Taman Bukit Permai, mangsa akhir telah ditemui pada 0235 pagi tadi. @drabdlatiff@MasturaYazid_@jpmgov_ pic.twitter.com/OvGhN2RNKP
Amirudin said RM10,000 would be given to the families of the four victims.
Sumbangan RM10,000 kepada keluarga empat mangsa maut insiden #tanahruntuh Taman Bukit Permai 2, Ampang – MB Selangor @AmirudinShari pic.twitter.com/KBAzayZiZy
— BERNAMA TV 🇲🇾 (@BernamaTV) March 11, 2022
Not the first time
Malaysia had experienced two big landslides in 1993 and 2008. The landslide caused by heavy rains at Highland Towers is still fresh in the minds of many Malaysians.
48 people died when the 12-storey building of Block 1 collapsed at 1.30pm on 11 December 1993. The residents of the other two blocks and neighbouring areas were evacuated for safety.
The rescue effort was assisted by 24 members of the Japanese Disaster Relief Team and French Securite, a French civil defence team, on 13 December. They found only two survivors.
Bukit Antarabangsa experienced a second smaller landslide around 2am in May 2020 without casualties. However, some homes and vehicles were affected.
READ MORE: Landslide At Bukit Antarabangsa, Residents Forced To Evacuate
The landslide in the early morning of 6 December 2008 happened at the town of Bukit Antarabangsa in Selangor that killed four and injured 15 people. 14 houses were destroyed that day.
The 2008 landslide dredged up ugly memories of the Highland Towers landslide.
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