Massive landslide at Bukit Antarabangsa at 4 a.m. this morning

Tanah runtuh di Bukit Antarabangsa pukul 4 pagi ini

Extra: Malay Mail here has a report on yesterday’s landslide at Jalan Semantan, Damansara. Luckily there was no loss of life.

My worst fear had been confirmed and my condolences go out to the families that have lost dear ones in this latest tragedy. I urge the relevant authorities to do all they can to save lives that can be saved and take further measures to prevent more losses at this site and possibly elsewhere.

Since the beginning of the continuous rainfall for umpteen weeks, for sometime now I have had this feeling that there would be mishaps soon connected with hill slopes. Then came the news this morning of Bukit Antarabangsa. I feel sad and lousy that it happened because, since I have been elected MP, I have been especially vocal about new hillslope developments that are dangerous and  that contravene local building guidelines. To say I am upset now is to put it mildly. I am angry … I am so angry that I will continue to take the authorities concerned to tasks for recklessly approving hillslope developments that could endanger lives and properties!

Tambahan: Akhbar Malay Mail membuat laporan mengenai kejadian tanah runtuh di Jalan Semantan, Damansara. Nasib baik tiada kehilangan nyawa.

Apa yang saya paling takuti telah berlaku dan saya mengucap takziah kepada mana-mana keluarga yang mengalami kehilangan anggota dalam kejadian terbaru ini. Saya menyeru pihak berkuasa yang berkenaan membuat apa sahaja yang boleh untuk menyelamatkan nyawa dan menagambil tindakan mencegah lagi kehilangan nyawa di sini dan tempat-tempat lain.

Sejak bermulanya musim hujan, saya rasa akan terjadi peristiwa bergini di kawsan bukit. Kemudiannya muncullah berita mengenai Bukit Antarabangsa pagi ini. Saya rasa sedih dan murung kerana, semenjak dipilih sebagai WR, saya dengan lantang membantah pembinaan di kawasan bukit yang bahaya dan bercanggah dengan garis panduan pembinaan. Jika dikatakan saya kecewa adalah kurang tepat kerana saya sangat marah dan saya akan terus menyelar pihak berkuasa berkenaan kerana meluluskan projek kawasan bukit secara tidak bertanggungjawab dan ini akan merbahayakan nyawa dan harta!

Berita terkini di Malaysiakini …

Trajedi tanah runtuh: 4 terbunuh, lebih ramai ditanam

Tanah runtuh besar telah berlaku pukul 4 pagi hari ini menyebabkan 8 rumah banglo di Taman Bukit Mewah dan Taman Bukit Utama di Bukit Antarabangsa, Selangor ditanam oleh tanah runtuh. 4 mayat dijumpai dan 7 orang lagi dikhuatiri masih di tanam.

3 daripada 4 mayat adalah wanita. Mereka adalah ibu berusia 30 tahun, bayinya berusia 2 bulan dan pembantu rumahnya.

Pasukan bomba dan penyelamat di tempat kejadian dan bersedia untuk keadaan yang lagi teruk. Mayat yang dijumpa dan 15 orang yang cedera telah dikejarkan ke Hospital Kuala Lumpur.

Tanah runtuh ini memutuskan jalan ke kawasan kediaman danmemerangkap ratusan orang di Bukit Antarabangsa di Hulu Klang

Azmin Ali, ADUN Bukit Antarabangsa memberitahu Malaysiakini menerusi telefon bahawa pasukan penyelamat sedang berlumba dengan masa menyelamatkan mereka yang terperangkap dalam timbunan tanah dan rumah.

Beliau menyatakan bahawa peralihan tanah masih berterusan dan bekalan elektrik kepada beberapa kawasan perumahan di Bukit Antarabangsa telah terjejas.

Beliau menambah bahawa dia bergegas ke situ pukul 4.30 pagi apabila dimaklumkan mengenai peristiwa ini.

Ketua Polis Selangor Khalid Abu Bakar yang berada di situ untuk menerajui kerja penyelamatan memberitahu pemberita bahawa penghuni seramai 3,000 hingga 5,000 terpaksa dipindahkan.

Menurut Bernama, sejumlah 160 anggota polis, tenteray, Majlis Perbandaranl (MPAJ) dan pegawai perubatan terlibat dalam kerja penyelamatan. Lebih daripada 10 ambulans boleh dilihat di situ.

Bernama juga melaporkan bahawa salah satu banglo dimiliki oleh Mohamed Thajudeen Abdul Wahab, setiausaha sulit utama kepada perdana menteri

Thajudeen dan keluarganya selamat kerana tidak berada dalam rumah.

Laporan saksi

Peniaga Hassan Saad, 48, memberitahu Bernama bahawa pada pukul 4 pagi semasa dia sedang menonton televisyn, dia terdengar suara macam anin kencang tetapi dia rasa tiada angin dan poko tidak goyang. Dia kembali menonton TV tetapi tiba-tiba terdengar letupan umpama bom. Dia lari keluar rumah dan nampak tanah runtuh daripada bukit terus ke atas rumah jirannya.

Hassan kata dia melaung kepada keluarganya supaya bangun dan juga jirannya supaya menyelamatkan diri. Keluarganya yang jumlah 10 orang termasuk ibu mertua dan 2 saudara dapat menyelamatkan diri.

Sementara itu, seorang yang hanya hendak dikenali sebagai Chong, berkata bahawa anak perempuannya dan cucunya berusia 2 bulan telah ditanam hidup-hidup dan anaknya masih hilang pada pukul 9 pagi.

Dia kata bahawa dia telah melawat mereka pukul 11 malam dan telah pulang tetapi dimaklumkan oleh anak jirannya bahawa rumah anaknya ditanam oleh tanah runtuh.

*Terjemahan oleh Lee Wee Tak – Ucapan ribuan terima kasih dari Wee Choo Keong

For today’s breaking news, Malaysiakini has the report …

Landslide tragedy: 4 killed, more buried

Dec 6, 08 8:41am

A massive landslide at 4 this morning buried eight bungalows in Taman Bukit Mewah and Taman Bukit Utama in Bukit Antarabangsa, Selangor. Four bodies have been recovered and seven people are still feared buried. MCPX Three of the four bodies recovered were women. They are a 30-year-old mother, her two-month-old baby and her maid. Fire and rescue officials at the scene 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 word 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 of the incident. Accounts of eyewitnesses An eyewitness, businessman Hassan Saad, 48, told Bernama that he was watching television in his sitting room at 4am when he heard what sounded like strong wind but when he looked out, the air was still and the trees were not swaying. He returned to watching the TV but suddenly he heard an explosion like that of a bomb. He ran out of the house and saw the earth sliding down the hillslope and hitting his neighbour’s house in front. Hassan said he shouted to wake up his family and alert his neighbours to run for their lives. His family of 10, including his mother-in-law and two cousins managed to run to safety. Meanwhile, a man who wanted to be known only as Chong, said his daughter and two-month-old grandchild were buried alive in the landslide while his son was still missing as at 9am. He said he visited them last night and had gone home at 11pm but was told by a neighbour’s son that his son’s house had been buried in the landslide.