Current:Home > StocksMalaysia says landslide that killed 31 people last year was caused by heavy rain, not human activity -Quantum Capital Pro
Malaysia says landslide that killed 31 people last year was caused by heavy rain, not human activity
View
Date:2025-04-24 10:49:16
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — A landslide that killed 31 people at an unlicensed campground last year was caused by persistent heavy rainfall, not human activity, a Malaysian government investigation concluded.
Ninety-two people were sleeping at a campsite on an organic farm when soil and debris crashed down from a road about 30 meters (100 feet) above and covered about 1 hectare (3 acres) of the site in Batang Kali in central Selangor state.
Most of the campers were families enjoying a year-end vacation, and 11 of the 31 dead were children. Rescuers found the bodies of a mother and her toddler daughter locked in an embrace, and a man buried under the landslide was uncovered still clutching his dog.
Rain had fallen for five straight days before the Dec. 16 landslide, amounting to 118.6 millimeters (4.67 inches), Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said in a statement late Monday. The cumulative rainfall for the preceding 30 days was 444.8 millimeters (17.5 inches), he said.
“This heavy rain caused slope failures, which buried the camp sites... under soil, causing damage to property and loss of life,” he said. “The investigation found no strong evidence of anthropogenic activity as a contributing factor to this landslide.”
Anthropogenic refers to environmental change due to human activity.
Zahid said the forensic report was declassified earlier this month. He didn’t say why but local media said families of the victims had requested the government to make the report public.
veryGood! (9)
Related
- The FBI should have done more to collect intelligence before the Capitol riot, watchdog finds
- MLB game at Rickwood Field has 'spiritual component' after Willie Mays' death
- Michael Strahan Praises Superwoman Daughter Isabella Strahan Amid End of Chemotherapy
- Peace must be a priority, say Catholic leaders on anniversary of priests’ violent deaths in Mexico
- Travis Hunter, the 2
- What's open and closed for Juneteenth? See which stores and restaurants are operating today.
- Tale of a changing West
- FBI raids homes in Oakland, California, including one belonging to the city’s mayor
- Romantasy reigns on spicy BookTok: Recommendations from the internet’s favorite genre
- Supreme Court upholds Trump-era tax on foreign earnings, skirting disruptive ruling
Ranking
- Could Bill Belichick, Robert Kraft reunite? Maybe in Pro Football Hall of Fame's 2026 class
- Dakota Johnson's Dress Fell Off During TV Wardrobe Malfunction
- TikTok unveils interactive Taylor Swift feature ahead of London Eras Tour shows
- Kevin Costner on his saga, Horizon, and a possible return to Yellowstone
- Kylie Jenner Shows Off Sweet Notes From Nieces Dream Kardashian & Chicago West
- Bob Good hopes final vote count will put him ahead of Trump-endorsed challenger
- Kindergarten student struck and killed by school bus while walking to school with his mother
- Legendary Actor Donald Sutherland Dead at 88
Recommendation
The FTC says 'gamified' online job scams by WhatsApp and text on the rise. What to know.
Aaron Judge returns to Yankees’ lineup against Orioles, two days after getting hit on hand by pitch
Texas court finds Kerry Max Cook innocent of 1977 murder, ending decades-long quest for exoneration
Onions are the third most popular vegetable in America. Here's why that's good.
Tom Holland's New Venture Revealed
Barstool Sports Founder Dave Portnoy Shares He Recently “Beat” Cancer
Louisiana’s new law requiring the Ten Commandments in classrooms churns old political conflicts
Should I go into debt to fix up my home? High interest rates put owners in a bind