Two dead, 51 missing after Genting landslide

Two people are dead and more than 50 are missing after a landslide struck a campsite in Genting Highlands early today, officials said, as search and rescue personnel scoured the site for survivors.

The landslide occurred at about 3am on the side of a road near a farmhouse that provides camping facilities, the state fire and rescue department said in a statement.

A total of 79 people were caught in the landslide and 23 had been found safe, the department said. In addition to the two dead, three were injured and 51 were still missing.

The landslide fell from an estimated height of 30m (100 ft) above the campsite, and covered an area of about one acre (0.4 hectare), the department's director, Norazam Khamis, said.

The disaster struck just outside Genting Highlands, a scenic hill country area in Batang Kali district, north of the capital that is popular for its resorts and natural beauty.

Selangor is the country's most affluent state and has suffered landslides before, often attributed to forest and land clearance.

The region is in its rainy season but no heavy rain or earthquakes were recorded overnight.

A year ago, about 21,000 people were displaced by flooding from torrential rain in seven states across the country.