Batang Kali, Dec.17: Rescuers on Saturday found the bodies of a mother and her son, raising the death toll from a landslide on an unlicensed campground in Malaysia to 23 with 10 others still missing.
Selangor state fire chief Norazam Khamis told reporters the two bodies were found buried under a meter (3 feet) of mud and debris. He said there was hope of finding survivors if they clung on to piles or branches or rocks with pockets of air but that chances were slim.
Authorities said 94 people were sleeping at the camping site on an organic farm early Friday when the dirt tumbled from a road about 30 meters (100 feet) above them and covered about 1 hectare (3 acres). Most were families enjoying a short vacation during the yearend school break.
The 23 victims included six children and 13 women. Authorities were still carrying out autopsies and waiting for next of kin to identify the victims.
Norazam said rescuers were treading carefully as underground water streams may trigger further landslides.
Authorities have said the landowners did not have a license to run a campground. Officials are unable to pinpoint the exact cause of the landslide, which came without warning, but believed it could be due to underground water movement while the yearend monsoon rains made the soil unstable.
