Abu Dhabi (WAM)
The UAE expressed its sincere condolences and solidarity with friendly Malaysia for the victims of the landslide that occurred in the state of Selangor, killing and injuring dozens of people, and causing great damage.
In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation expressed its sincere condolences and sympathy to the Malaysian government and people, as well as to the families of the victims, and its wishes for a speedy recovery for all the injured.
A landslide that occurred in the early hours of Friday morning at a campsite in Malaysia killed at least 24 people, including 7 children.
Norazam Khamis, in charge of firefighting and rescue teams in the state of Selangor (central), which includes the capital, Kuala Lumpur, indicated that “the total number is 24 people” who were killed.
He told reporters that two of the victims, “a mother and her child, were buried underground,” adding that 14 people are still missing.
Sixty-one survivors were found after the landslide that occurred near the town of Batang Kali, about 40 kilometers north of Kuala Lumpur, according to the district’s development minister, Inga Kaur Meng. It is located close to Batang Kali Mountain Casino Resort.
Survivor Veronica Lua told AFP that she and her family were sleeping in the camp when they heard a loud noise and saw the tent next to them “completely swept away”.
Pictures posted on the “Internet” showed hundreds of police and rescue personnel at the entrance to the camping site, where an excavator was heading to the disaster area.
Malaysian police summoned staff from the unauthorized camping site as part of the investigation into the landslide, which left dozens dead and dozens injured, while searches continued for the missing. According to Inga Kor Ming, the farm in which the camping site is located, known as “Fathers Organic Farm”, operates “without a license”, adding that if the perpetrators of this tragedy are recognized as responsible before the judiciary, a penalty will be imposed on them.
Videos and photos posted online showed rescuers carrying flashlights and shovels searching for survivors under rubble, among fallen trees and wrecked cars. Landslides are common in Malaysia after heavy rains that generally fall at the end of each year, but Batang Kali did not record heavy rain on Thursday night.
The Malaysian government has imposed strict laws regarding building on hillsides, but landslides continue in this country due to bad weather.
In March, four people died after a landslide destroyed their homes in a suburb of Kuala Lumpur.
#Emirati #solidarity #Malaysia #landslide #victims