Two Killed, Eight Feared Buried In Bukit Antarabangsa Landslide

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 6 (Bernama) -- A landslide occurred at about 4 am today in Bukit Antarabangsa, Hulu Klang, near here and police confirmed that a woman and her child were killed in the incident which buried 14 bungalows in two housing estates.
Selangor police chief Datuk Khalid Abu Bakar said at the scene that 93 people escaped unscathed in the mishap which affected bungalows in Taman Bukit Mewah and Taman Bukit Utama.
A spokesman of the Malaysian Red Crescent Society had said earlier that four people had died in the incident.
He also said that 15 injured people had been sent to Kuala Lumpur Hospital.
A Fire & Rescue Unit spokesman said eight bungalows in Taman Bukit Utama and six bungalows in Taman Bukit Mewah were affected.
One of the affected bungalows is owned by Datuk Mohamed Thajudeen Abdul Wahab, the principal private secretary to the prime minister.
The landslide cut off access by the main road to the residential areas at Bukit Antarabangsa, trapping hundreds of residents.
A search and rescue operation has been mounted involving personnel from the military, Civil Defence Department, Special Malaysia Disaster Assistance and Rescue (Smart) team, Fire & Rescue Unit and Ampang Jaya Municipal Council.
The injured were given first aid at the Addinniah surau before being sent to the nearest hospitals in ambulances, at least 12 of which were seen at the scene.
Bukit Antarabangsa State Assemblyman Azmin Ali said at the scene that earth movement continued to take place and that electricity supply to several housing estates in Bukit Antarabangsa was disrupted.

Relative Tranquility Of Bukit Antarabangsa Again Shattered By Landslide

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 6 (Bernama) -- The relative tranquility of Bukit Antarabangsa, a hilly township comprising upmarket and middle class bungalows, condominiums and terrace houses was broken this morning following a landslide that originated from Jalan Wangsa Ukay 9 at Taman Wangsa Ukay.
Tonnes of earth and boulders rolled down several houses just before dawn, at 4am, today, in an area about 1.5 km from where one of three blocks of the Highland Towers collapsed on Dec 11, 1993 taking 48 lives.
The landslide happened so fast but word got around through SMSes, radio or tv, and many people made a beeline to the disaster area.
The town centre, comprising a supermarket, a petrol station and two rows of shophouses, was unusually jam-packed with cars of curious onlookers, ambulances, and vehicles from the police and civil defence.
At daybreak, this writer joined a group of onlookers at a row of abandoned houses at Jalan Wangsa 9 overlooking the disaster area.
They decided to circumvent a security tape which had been put up by security officials to prevent people from going near the edge of the slope.
The group of us was about 15 to 20 metres from where it all started.
Suddenly the earth started to move slightly and many of the uprooted Flame of the Forest trees resumed their descent.
The onlookers, many of them armed with camera phones, then ran helter-skelter.
Come to think of it, we were precariously near where disaster struck.
Many of the people there said the landslide must have been caused by the heavy rains over the past few days. This was just at Jalan Wangsa Ukay 9 today.
At the main road leading towards Bukit Antarabangsa, a handful of workmen were seen putting concrete reinforcement against a giant boulder which appeared to be tilting towards the road. A stone's throw away, water was trickling from the crevice of another boulder.
Last week this road was temporary closed for a day when some boulders fell on to the road.
The workmen appeared to be racing against time. Another disaster could be in the offing if this giant boulder were to give way when more rain falls.
It would mean that one of the main arteries connecting Bukit Antarabangsa to the Middle Ring Road II could be cut again, just as it happened last week and a few years ago.

Massive landslide at Bukit Antarabangsa

KUALA LUMPUR: A massive landslide occurred in Bukit Antarabangsa at 4am Saturday. As of 10.45am Saturday, four people are confirmed dead and 15 injured.
The landslide cut off access by the main road to the residential areas at Bukit Antarabangsa, trapping hundreds of residents.
A total of 3,000 to 5,000 residents in the vicinity of the landslide are going to be evacuated, said Selangor police chief Datuk Khalid Abu Bakar.
He said the military has been roped in to create a slip road to enable trapped victims to be evacuated from the area.
Among the dead are a 30-year-old mother, her two-month-old baby and her maid.
A total of 93 people have been rescued while seven are still reported missing.
Also affected are 14 houses in Jalan Bukit Mewah and Jalan Mewah Utama.
The injured and the remains of the dead have been rushed to the Kuala Lumpur Hospital.
A total of 160 police, army, Ampang Jaya City Council (MPAJ) and medical personnel are involved in the search and rescue operation.
According to BERNAMA, the injured were given first aid at the Addinniah surau before being sent to hospital. At least 12 ambulances were spotted at the scene.
One of the affected bungalows is owned by Datuk Mohamed Thajudeen Abdul Wahab, the principal private secretary to the prime minister.
Thajudeen and his family are safe. They were not at home at the time.
Bukit Antarabangsa assemblyman Azmin Ali said at the scene that earth movement continued to take place and that electricity supply to several housing estates in Bukit Antarabangsa was disrupted.
The site of Saturday's landslide is believed to be 1.5km from the Highland Towers apartment building which collapsed on Dec 11, 1993, killing 48 people.


Bukit Antarbangsa : Landslide tragedy: 4 killed, more buried
A massive landslide at 4 this morning buried eight bungalows in Taman Bukit Mewah and Taman Bukit Utama, Four bodies have been found and eight to 10 people are still feared buried.
Three of the four bodies recovered were women. They are a 30-year-old mother, her two-month-old baby and her maid.
According to fire and rescue officials at the scene, they are expecting the worst. The bodies recovered and some 15 others who were injured have been rushed to the Kuala Lumpur Hospital.
The landslide has cut off the access road to the residential area, trapping hundreds of people at Bukit Antarabangsa in Hulu Klang
Azmin Ali, the state rep for Bukit Antarabangsa told Malaysiakini over the phone that rescuers are now fighting against time to reach those trapped under the mud and rubble.
He said earth movement continued to take place and that electricity supply to several housing estates in Bukit Antarabangsa was disrupted.
The politician said he rushed over to the scene at 4.30am soon after he received words of the landslide.
Selangor police chief Khalid Abu Bakar who was at the scene to direct rescue efforts told reporters that a total of 3,000 to 5,000 residents in the vicinity of the landslide have to be evacuated.
According to Bernama, a total of 160 police, army, Ampang Jaya City Council (MPAJ) and medical personnel are involved in the search and rescue operation. More than 10 ambulances were spotted at the scene.
The news agency also reported that one of the affected bungalows is owned by Mohamed Thajudeen Abdul Wahab, the principal private secretary to the prime minister.
Thajudeen and his family are safe. They were not at home at the time.