KUALA LUMPUR – Rainfall events throughout the month have been identified as the main factor behind the tragic landslide at Batang Kali on December 16, last year.
In a statement, today, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the “rainfall events” came from a combination of “major cumulative rainfall” for a period of five days prior to the landslide, as well as cumulative “antecedent rainfall” 30 days before the incident.
Both events recorded a rainfall of 118.6mm and 444.8mm respectively.
Zahid, who chairs the Central Disaster Management Committee, said the findings, based on forensic analysis, revealed that the heavy downpour caused eventual slope failure, causing the campsite covering Hill View, Farm View, and Hill Side to be enveloped by soil, causing damage to property and loss of lives.
He also pointed out that further investigations found no solid evidence that anthropogenic (human-driven) activities were a contributing factor to the landslide.
“The full report by the Landslide Working Group Committee will be available to the public on Nadma’s website from 10am tomorrow,” he added.
Earlier today, Zahid chaired the series two meeting of the Central Disaster Management Committee.
The meeting was attended by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Sabah, Sarawak and Special Functions) Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali, Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Mohd Zuki Ali, Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Sabah, Sarawak and Special Functions) Datuk Ugak Kumbong, state government secretaries in their respective capacities as chairmen of the State Disaster Management Committee and technical agencies as well as counter-responsive agencies.
“The meeting today also discussed the decision by the cabinet on April 12, which agreed that the investigation report regarding the landslide tragedy at Jalan B66, Batang Kali-Genting Highlands, Hulu Selangor, involving 92 victims, with 61 of them rescued successfully and 31 perished, be made available to the public,” he added. – October 17, 2023