SELANGOR, MALAYSIA — The massive landslide that took place in Batang Kali claimed the lives of a family of four, leaving their grandmother grieving for their deaths as she collected their bodies from the mortuary.
Last Friday (16 Dec), a predawn landslide hit a campsite at an organic farm on Friday near the town of Batang Kali just outside the capital Kuala Lumpur.
A total of 94 people, most of them asleep, were trapped by the massive landslide.
The landslide fell from an estimated height of 30 meters above the campsite and covered an area of about 3 acres.
According to The National Disaster Management Agency(NADMA), 61 people were found safe or rescued as of 7.45 pm on 18 December, while 24 lost their lives.
Just yesterday, NADMA released the list of deceased victims.
The 24 victims included seven children, four men and 13 women.
The rescue team is still searching for the remaining nine victims.
Grandmother collects bodies of her daughter’s family
Of those who perished in the tragedy was a family of four, which included a six-year-old girl and a 1-year-old toddler
59-year-old Beh Su Lee, the mother of the deceased daughter, visited Sungai Buloh Hospital mortuary to claim the bodies of the family.
She was seen accompanied by her relatives, grieving in tears, China Press reported.
Mdm Beh wrote on Facebook: “My son-in-law Wong Kim Yap, my daughter Gain Choo Yin, beloved granddaughter Wong Qiao Er and grandson Wong Zi Hang have all been confirmed dead.”
“Mummy wishes all of you to be reunited as one family, rest in peace, mummy loves all of you.”
Both Mdm Beh’s daughter and son-in-law were only aged 35 and 34.
13 of 23 people who went for a school outing, confirmed dead
What should have been a joyous occasion turned into a tragedy when 13 out of 23 who were on a school camping trip were killed in the landslide.
The 13 includes six female teachers from SJK(C) Mun Choong primary school.
A total of 23 from the group, including seven teachers, their relatives and friends, a canteen operator and his Malay employee, were checked in at Father’s Organic Farm last Wednesday and due to leave on Friday morning.
A Facebook user Eva Lee posted a video in memorial of her deceased colleagues, “It hurts so much to lose six good colleagues in one day. In the short four years, I have been serving in Mun Choong, I have felt the love you have given me.”
Since the incident, members of the public have visited the school site, leaving flowers at the gates as a tribute to the deceased and expressed their deepest condolences.
