Malaysia : Landslide hits orphanage, two die

Landslide hits Malaysia orphanage, two die
May 21, 2011

A landslide caused by heavy rains has hit an orphanage in Malaysia, killing two children and burying at least 21 others, a local lawmaker said.

The incident took place at around 2.30 pm local time (1630 AEST) at the Children's Hidayah Madrasah Al-Taqwa orphanage in Hulu Langat, just south of the capital Kuala Lumpur on Saturday.

Che Rosli Che Mat, an opposition lawmaker with the conservative Islamic party (PAS) expressed shock over the tragedy.

"Twenty-three children under the age of 18 were buried in the landslide. Six have been pulled out with injuries while have two died. It is raining heavily now," he said.

Che Rosli said the orphanage was located on a hill slope in his constituency, and it had been raining heavily in the semi-rural area for the past two days.

He said 100 people including officers from the fire department and police were involved in the rescue operation.

The tragedy struck when the children were practising the traditional Malay drums, "kompang" under a tent near a steep slope, he said.

"The landslide happened very fast. Only a few children managed to escape," he said.

news.theage.com.au

Landslide kills 5 orphans in Malaysia
21/05/2011

A landslide caused by heavy rains hit an orphanage in Malaysia on Saturday, killing five children and burying at least 10 other people, a local lawmaker and police said.

The incident took place at around 2:30 pm (0630 GMT) at the Children's Hidayah Madrasah Al-Taqwa orphanage in Hulu Langat, just south of the capital Kuala Lumpur.

Fire department deputy director Morni Mamat said 24 people _ 20 children and four adult caretakers _ were buried when the landslide struck.

Eight children and one of the orphanage caretakers were pulled alive from the muddy debris, police said, while rescuers recovered the bodies of five boys aged between 11 and 14.

The orphanage had 49 occupants, five of them caretakers. All 44 residents were boys.

Che Rosli Che Mat, an opposition lawmaker with the conservative Islamic party (PAS) expressed shock over the tragedy and said efforts to rescue the victims had been hampered by heavy rain.

Two diggers backed by powerful spotlights were being used, he said, as rescuers frantically dug for survivors with spades.

"But the heavy rain is washing down more red earth. I fear they will probably find more bodies,'' he said. "I fear for the safety of the rescuers.''

Che Rosli said the orphanage was located on a hill slope in his constituency, and it had been raining heavily in the semi-rural area for the past two days.

The tragedy struck when the children were practising the traditional Malay "kompang'' drums under a tent near a steep slope, he said.

"The landslide happened very fast. Only a few children managed to escape. I am surprised an orphanage has been built on a side of hill,'' he said.

Meanwhile, Minister of Women, Family and Community Development Shahrizat Abdul Jalil said she was saddened by the deadly landslide.

"I was just informed by the incident of children being buried in a landslide. It is a sad news,'' she said.

Sharizat said she would work with the police to establish the cause of the tragedy, adding: "I hope the children's home was not build without the approval of local authorities.''

Landslides in Malaysia are regular natural disasters and the government has imposed strict rules with regards to hillside development.

In one of the country's worst tragedies, a huge mudslide brought on by heavy rain triggered the collapse of a 12-storey residential building on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur in December 1993, killing 48 people.

bangkokpost.com

at what stage will Asia recognise the value of human life ? :(

The death toll from a landslide caused by heavy rains that hit a Malaysian orphanage has risen to 16, police said Sunday, announcing the search operation was over.

Bangkok Post : 16 dead in Malaysia orphanage landslide

Orphanage built without approval
May 23, 2011

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In this photo taken on Saturday, May 21, rescuers work at the site of a landslide that hit an orphanage in Hulu Langat, in central Selangor state

HULU LANGAT - RUMAH Anak Yatim Hidayah was built without any approval from any authority, said Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Chor Chee Heung.

'Back then, the Kajang Municipal Council (MPKj) did not have jurisdiction over this area, so we cannot blame residents who built houses in the area. They have the right to build homes for themselves and their families,' he told reporters after inspecting the orphanage-cum-religious school here on Sunday.

'The orphanage was built about 15 years ago and at that time or now, it was not compulsory for them to meet requirements set by JKR. But I do hope that those who want to build on hillslopes in such areas will get the green light from the Government,' said Mr Chor who noted that the structure was built on agriculture land.

Chor also expressed his gratitude to the rescue teams comprising more than 700 people for their immediate action in rescuing victims buried by the landslide. Earlier, Selangor executive councillor Ronnie Liu said the orphanage was not registered under MPKj.

'It (the orphanage) is out of our operational zone and should come under the Rural and Regional Development Ministry. We were not aware of its existence. There is no record of an application,' he told reporters. Mr Liu said the foundation of the building was built on a slope of more than 80 degrees with no retaining wall. He said no local authority would have approved such a structure if they had received the application.

He said the MPKj president would meet with the owner of the building to find out more about its foundation. 'If the foundation is unstable, the building will be demolished as it would be too dangerous to occupy,' Mr Liu said, adding that they had located the owner but he was too shocked to say anything.

Survivors
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Quote:

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Originally Posted by genghis61

HULU LANGAT - RUMAH Anak Yatim Hidayah was built without any approval from any authority, said Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Chor Chee Heung.

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never saw that coming ....................................

slippery ain't the word , how the fok do these cnuts sleep ? :(

Landslide: 500 Take Part In Funeral Prayers

KUALA LUMPUR, May 22 (Bernama) -- More than 500 people, comprising family members, relatives and local residents, congregated at the Sultan Hisamuddin Alam Shah Mosque in Hulu Langat to perform funeral prayers for seven victims of a devastating landslide which struck the Rumah Anak-anak Yatim dan Anak-anak Hidayah Madrasah Al-Taqwa.

They arrived in droves at the mosque located at the 14th mile Hulu Langat since 10am today, to offer the prayers for the victims after Zohor.

The seven were Dzahir Haziq M. Muin, 18, Mohd Azret Azahari, eight, Wan Ahmad Hasrim Hazim, 11, Mohd Mustakim Mamat, 12, Mohd Zaid Azahari, 14, Mohd Imal Fahad, nine, and Mohd Hazim Sapri, 10.

They were given a mass burial at the Dusun Nanding Muslim Cemetary.

In the 2.30pm incident, 25 people consisting of orphans, warden and orphanage staff were trapped in the aftermath of the landslide in Kampung Gahal.

Sixteen people were killed in the tragedy while nine others were rescued.

The bodies were sent to the Kuala Lumpur Hospital where family members and next-of-kin claimed them.

Apart from the seven victims, other casualties of the landslide will be buried in Pantai Dalam, Kuala Lumpur (three), Dengkil (two) and one each in Batu Caves (Selangor), Perak, Pahang and Kelantan.

bernama.com

Hillside building halted after landslide engulfs Malaysia orphanage
May 23, 2011

Kuala Lumpur - A council in a Malaysian state ordered a halt on hillside construction after two landslides killed 16 people at an orphanage over the weekend, an official said Monday.

A spokeswoman from the planning unit of the Kajang Municipal Council in the central state of Selangor said a directive had been issued to officers to check the approval permits for ongoing hillside developments.

'It is a temporary situation just to give us time to recheck the details of these developments and ensure they all are undertaking safety precautions,' said the spokeswoman, who requested anonymity because the directive had yet to be announced to the public.

On Saturday, two simultaneous landslides buried an orphanage in Hulu Kelang district along with 26 people inside.

After 15 hours, rescue workers managed to pull out 10 survivors, all of whom were being treated for injuries.

Of the 16 dead, 15 were residents of the orphanage, aged 8 to 19.

Investigations into the incident have so far revealed that the orphanage, which was built about 15 years ago, did not have any permit or approval from local authorities to be built.

The home was built on a steep slope, which gave way after a heavy downpour Saturday.

Prime Minister Najib Razak, who is currently in the United States, expressed his condolences to families of the dead and ordered an immediate inquiry into the incident.

In 1993, a luxury apartment located on a hilltop in the same area collapsed, killing 48 people.

The tragedy sparked public outrage after it was revealed the incident was due to a faulty irrigation system, which caused the soil surrounding the apartment to give way after heavy rains.

monstersandcritics.com