Malaysia landslide: At least 21 campers dead and more missing

Malaysian search and rescue teams are scouring a holiday campsite in the Selangor state for survivors after a landslide killed at least 21 people.

Families were sleeping in their tents when the landslide happened around 03:00 Friday (19:00 GMT Thursday) at a farm stay in Batang Kali township.

Some 400 rescue workers spent Friday digging through mud to find 12 missing people, local media reported.

Among the victims are five children and 12 women, officials announced.

Fire Chief Norazam Khamis also told local media that two of the bodies were found "hugging each other" and are believed to be mother and daughter.

The farm's managers said at least 30 children and 51 adults were registered for an overnight stay, and Health Miniser Zaliha Mustafa said one of those injured was a pregnant woman.

More than 20 primary school teachers and their family members were also at the campsite, according to a New Straits Times report.

Malaysia's fire and rescue department said a 30m (100ft) high slope impacted the campsite in "a terrible tragedy". Government authorities noted that the landslide involved about 450,000 sq m of soil.

The camp site had been operating illegally, according to local government development minister Nga Kor Ming. He added that the operator had government approval to run an organic farm, but was not permitted to run camping activities.

If found guilty of violating the law, the owner could be jailed up to three years or fined up to 50,000 ringgit (£9,306; $11,318).

Mr Nga also said he ordered all "high-risk" camping sites - those located along rivers, waterfalls and hillsides - across Malaysia to immediately shut down for seven days.

Deputy Prime Minister Zahid Hamidi echoed the message, warning that the weather was expected to worsen in the coming days.

"We have to learn from what has happened today," he said.

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Singapore's foreign ministry said three of its citizens were among those rescued. Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong expressed "heartfelt condolences and sympathies to all those affected by the landslide".

It is unclear what triggered the landslide, which happened in a forested, hilly area next to the side of the road in Batang Kali, close to the Genting Highland region.

Locals reported some light rain, but no heavy downpours or any earthquakes in the lead up to it. However, monsoon season is currently underway in Malaysia.

Pictures posted online by Malaysia's rescue agencies showed crews of helmeted workers clambering up uneven ground, past uprooted trees and other debris.

One camper, Teh Lynn Xuan, said she and her mother had survived, but her brother had died and another brother had been injured and taken to hospital.

"We felt the tents becoming unstable and soil was falling around us," she told Malaysian newspaper Berita Harian.

"My mother and I managed to crawl out and save ourselves."

She said they had been camping with a big group of more than 40 people.

Another survivor, Leong Jim Meng, said he and his family were woken by an explosion before the ground began to shift.

They were briefly trapped in their tents by debris before managing to escape.

"It was too dark to see clearly what was happening," he said.

And a campsite worker, Thawng Uk, told the Reuters news agency that they had narrowly survived the disaster after being roused by neighbours.

"I have never seen such a horrible incident. I feel so shocked and terrified," the 35-year-old said. "We could bring nothing at all as we urgently ran. We are asking around where to get shelter and food."

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim was due to arrive at the site later on Friday, following visits from several other government ministers.

He offered condolences to the victims and prayers for more survivors on his Facebook page.

Rescuers have been shovelling mud to get to the victims feared trapped in the ground