Batang Kali landslide: No drones allowed at disaster site, says CAAM

PETALING JAYA: The airspace above the landslide at a campsite in Batang Kali, Selangor is a no-fly zone, says the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM).

It said in a statement on Friday (Dec 16) that no drones were allowed to be flown over the disaster site without approval.

“This is to avoid any untoward incidents that could affect the safety of the people and teams involved in the search and rescue (SAR) operations.

“Unauthorised usage of drones could also interfere with drone monitoring by the Malaysian Fire and Rescue Department as well as SAR operations using helicopters,” it added.

CAAM said all drone activities were subject to Section 4 of the Civil Aviation Act 1969 (Act 3); Regulation 98, Regulation 140-144 under the Malaysian Civil Aviation Regulations 2016 (MCAR 2016) and Civil Aviation Directives (CADs).

A campsite at Father's Organic Farm in Kampung Kuantan, Batang Kali was struck by a landslide in the early hours of Friday morning.

So far, 16 people have been confirmed dead while search and rescue operations are ongoing.