Malaysia Landslide: 24 People Buried Alive

Malaysian National news agency said that two dozen of people, which are mainly children, were buried alive when a landslide took down an orphanage in Malaysia on May 21,2010.

The victims were mostly orphans and staff of the orphanage in Hulu Langat, Southeast of the capital, Kuala Lumpur.
Bernama news agency said that the landslide was triggered by heavy rains, which occurred at 2:30 in the afternoon when all the children were gathered in a main hall at the orphanage.

By Saturday evening, nine orphans were pulled out of the debris by a search and rescue team. Selangor Police Chief Datuk Tun Hisan Tun Hamzah said at a news conference that three children died at the scene; the six other orphans were rushed to hospital, Kajang Hospital for treatment. The child survivors were aged between 11 and 17 and the 22-year-old adult is believed to be a worker at the orphanage. The dead children were aged between 11 and 14.

He said the orphanage was located close to a hill and had 49 occupants, five of them were caretakers. All the residents of the orphanage are male.

The debris from the landslide covered the whole camp erected on the hillside."We learned that two landslides occurred simultaneously at the orphanage," he said. "All the victims did not have time to escape."

The rescuers comprised of personnel from the Fire & Rescue Department
Police and Civil Defence Department. Putrajaya Fire & Rescue Assistant Commissioner Morni Mamat said rescue operations were ongoing despite continous heavy rain.