Federal Hill landslide victim says residents told to relocate as area deemed unsafe
KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 24 — Residents with homes near the landslide along Lingkungan Negeri Sembilan in Federal Hills here have been told to relocate as the area is deemed unsafe, one of them has said.
Thomas Yap said Fire Department officials have told him he had best relocate for the time being as the place was not safe to inhabit.
“At the moment the place is unsafe, Bomba told us to relocate,” Thomas told Malay Mail.
Yap’s backyard has been destroyed, as debris like sand, concrete and tar from the landslide flowed into his compound killing all his pet fish while causing damage to the walls of his link-house.
“The wall (where the landslide occurred) is exposed and apart from the tons of mud that’s already seeped into my backyard, more will flow if the rain hits. It could seep into the house eventually.
“I hope the authorities can fix this soon as not only is it affecting people’s livelihoods, it’s a distraction for the children, especially those who are studying for important exams,” he added.
Thomas said he has moved to a relative’s house for the time being but the authorities did not give him a timeline for when he can return home.
Following heavy rain last night, a landslide had hit Lingkungan Negeri Sembilan in Federal Hills, with several houses being affected.
According to a preliminary report by the Fire and Rescue Department, the soil slipped down from the shoulder of the main road along a 40-metre stretch at 7pm last night.
Lembah Pantai MP Fahmi Fadzil, who visited the site last night, said that this is a worrying trend as it is the second incident of landslide in the last few months.
Chairman of Selamatkan Kuala Lumpur — a coalition of resident associations in Bangsar — Datuk M. Ali said the landslide was not a surprise as those who live there have been highlighting these incidents with the Kuala Lumpur City Hall so it can look into developments, preventive measures and enforcement more holistically.
Ali said that he met DBKL officials on September 18 to ask for a proper water drainage system on Lingkungan Negeri Sembilan, the very road where the land slid last night.
*Note: A previous edition of the story contained an error which has since been corrected.
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