Batang Kali landslide: No visible cracks on roads at the scene, says Works Minister

PETALING JAYA: There are no visible cracks on the paved road in the area affected by the landslide at Batang Kali, says Works Minister Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi.

He said in a statement on Friday (Dec 16) that the landslide, which happened at 2.42am, covered an area of 300m from a height of 70m.

It involved state road B66 which is under the purview of the Selangor Public Works Department (JKR), he added.

The road has since been ordered closed by the Hulu Selangor police headquarters and an alternative route has been identified, he said.

"Checks and visual inspection found that the affected area involved a part of the state road for about 5m.

"Based on the inspection, no open cracks were found on the surface of the paved road.

"JKR and various agencies are actively involved in the search and rescue (SAR) mission.

"The forensic team of the JKR Malaysia Slope Engineering branch is on site to conduct further investigation," he said, adding that the safety of road users was the priority.

In the incident, a landslide hit a campsite at Father's Organic Farm in Batang Kali, burying 94 people.

As of 1pm, 16 were confirmed dead and 61 had been rescued, leaving 17 still missing with SAR operations ongoing.