Police cordon off 600m around landslide-hit area

HULU SELANGOR: Police have cordoned off a 600m area around the landslide called “The Red Zone”.

District OCPD and operations commander Supt R. Supramaniam said that while all homes were evacuated, 22 families had yet to register with the authorities.

“Perhaps they went off to stay with their families for the time being. But I urge them to come forward and register,” he said.

Supt Supramaniam said the landslide was caused by movement of water under the soil.

He added that there was increased water volume before the incident.

He said remedial works by the Public Works Department (JKR) would take between seven and 10 days.

JKR personnel placed plastic sheets on the crater’s edge to prevent further erosion as it was still raining yesterday afternoon.

Syarikat Bekalan Air Selangor Sdn Bhd (Syabas) said a water main burst as a result of the landslide.

The areas in Hulu Selangor facing supply disruption include Desa Melor, Desa Anggerik, Taman Idaman, Kampung Orang Asli Serendah and Pusat Serenti Serendah.

Water tankers and static water tanks have been sent to the areas to supply water until the problem is fixed.

When contacted, JKR told The Star that landslides were always hard to predict because there was usually no clear indication before these occurred.

Seven landslides took place so far this month but JKR issued no early warnings despite heavy rains forecast until Thursday.

Despite the difficulty, JKR slope engineering branch director Ir Dr Che Hassandi Abdullah said they were doing all they could to look for tell-tale signs of an impending landslide.

“It’s challenging but sometimes a landslide can be predicted by the cracks on slopes or road surfaces,” he said.