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Batang Kali (Malaysia), Dec. 17 (AP) — Rescuers used tracking dogs and excavators to scour through the rubble and mud Saturday for a dozen people believed to be buried in a Malaysian landslide that The landslide killed 21 people, including five children.
Authorities said 94 people were sleeping in an unlicensed campsite on an organic farm early Friday when dirt rolled down a road about 30 meters (100 feet) above the site, covering about 1 hectare (3 acres) )soil of. Most were families enjoying a short break during the year-end school holidays.
A total of 21 bodies were recovered, including 5 children and 12 women. A mother and her toddler daughter have been spotted hugging each other in heartbreaking scenes, rescuers say.
Seven people were hospitalized and dozens, including three Singaporeans, were rescued without injury. The search for a farm in central Selangor state was halted for several hours overnight due to rain and resumed early Saturday to find 12 more people who are still missing.
Wearing helmets and carrying shovels and other equipment, rescuers worked as a team to comb through the rubble as deep as 8 meters (26 feet). Excavators were deployed, some working with rescue dogs to sniff out possible signs of life and dead bodies. An estimated 450,000 cubic meters (nearly 16 million cubic feet) of debris — enough to fill 180 Olympic-sized swimming pools — hit the camp, officials said.
Authorities said the landowner did not have a license to operate the campground. Officials were unable to pinpoint the exact cause of the silent landslide, but believe it may have been due to groundwater movement while year-end monsoon rains destabilized the soil.
Recounting their ordeal, survivors told local media they heard thunder and felt the earth move before the dirt on their tents gave way. The government has ordered all campsites across the country close to rivers, waterfalls and hillsides to close for a week to assess their safety.
About 50 kilometers (30 miles) north of Kuala Lumpur, Batang Kali campground is a popular retreat for locals who pitch or rent tents on farms. But authorities say it has been operating illegally for the past two years. It has a license to operate a farm, but not a camping operation. If found guilty, the operator faces up to three years in prison and a fine. (Associated Press)
(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from a Syndicated News feed, the content body may not have been modified or edited by LatestLY staff)
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