Hillside building halted after landslide
Published: May 23, 2011 4:52 AM | Updated: May 23, 2011 5:31 AM
Kajang Municipal Council ordered a halt on hillside construction after two landslides killed 16 people at an orphanage over the weekend, an official said today.
Kajang Municipal Council ordered a halt on hillside construction after two landslides killed 16 people at an orphanage over the weekend, an official said today.
A spokesperson from the planning unit of the council in 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 spokesperson, who requested anonymity because the directive had yet to be announced to the public.
On Saturday, two simultaneous landslides buried an orphanage in Hulu Langat 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 eight 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 on Saturday.
Prime Minister Najib Abdul 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 Hulu Kelang 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.
- dpa
A spokesperson from the planning unit of the council in 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 spokesperson, who requested anonymity because the directive had yet to be announced to the public.On Saturday, two simultaneous landslides buried an orphanage in Hulu Langat 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 eight 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 on Saturday.
Prime Minister Najib Abdul 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 Hulu Kelang 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.
- dpa
View Comments0