Neighbours witness earth giving way and pull gym assistant out to safety

HULU SELANGOR: A gym assistant who was buried under piles of dirt but lived to tell the tale is counting his lucky stars.

Muhammad Fareez Hanuddin was heading home on his motorcycle when the ground beneath him literally gave way and swallowed him up.

“I didn’t hear anything, I didn’t feel or see anything. Suddenly I was just falling,” said the 21-year-old when met at the Sekolah Rendah Agama Serendah, which is being used as a temporary shelter.

Muhammad Fareez along with his motorcycle dropped sideways into the crater and he was trapped in the mud. He blacked out shortly after.

“I went blank. I didn’t know what was happening. I just felt my body becoming weak and I couldn’t hear anything,” he said.

Luckily for Muhammad Fareez, some neighbours saw him falling into the mud.

Miraculous escape: Muhammad Fareez explaining how he nearly died while on his way home in Hulu Selangor.

Among those who came to his rescue were Ain Syuhada and Muhammad Nor Hisyam Abd Talib, who got married yesterday.

Ain Syuhada – who had lived in the area her entire life – was up late Friday night preparing bunga telur for the celebration the next day.

“I heard the explosion and then the house shook. But I didn’t think too much of it because I was busy,” she said.

Only when the 25-year-old heard someone shouting “tanah runtuh, tanah runtuh” did she realise something was seriously wrong.

They recounted how they, together with other neighbours, rushed to pull Muhammad Fareez free.

Ain said Muhammad Fareez regained consciousness after water was splashed on his face.

He suffered a fractured left hand and was treated at the Selayang Hospital. He was discharged four hours later.

Muhammad Fareez lost his motorcycle, wallet and mobile phone during the incident.

His mother, Nur Azian Abdul Mutallib was in shock for a while when she realised it was her son who nearly died.

“My body just became cold. I’m so grateful he is safe. I don’t mind if my house or possessions are damaged, as long as he is okay,” she said.

No stopping this couple: Ain Syuhada (third from left) and Muhammad Nor Hisyam going ahead with their wedding ceremony despite the ordeal that happened a few metres away.

The wedding of Ain and Muhammad Nor Hisyam hit a snag when authorities shut off water and electricity to the area.

The talk at the wedding also revolved around the landslide.

“But we are still happy because we are married,” she said, adding that the landslide was an incident to be remembered.

The couple was concerned over the route they would have to take to get home or if they would even be allowed to enter their house.

“I don’t think we are in the area where everyone has been ordered to evacuate,” she said.

Ain also hoped the authorities could assure them of their safety so they can continue living in the area.