IVAN LOH, CHAN LI LEEN, AND TAN YI LIANG The Star 6 Nov 14;
CAMERON HIGHLANDS: At least one person has died, while four others were injured with another missing after heavy rain caused two landslides and a mudslide at several areas here.
The area is 4km away from Bertam Valley where a mudslide occurred on Oct 23 last year.
Cameron Highlands Fire and Rescue Department deputy director Morni Mamat said the missing person was a 13-year-old boy, who was swept away by floodwaters near a farm in Kuala Terla after Sungai Ringlet overflowed.
It is believed the boy had tried to climb onto a tractor in a bid to save himself, but failed.
Search and rescue efforts are ongoing.
Nearby in Ulu Merah, a Nepalese worker died while an Indonesian worker sustained slight injuries in a landslide at about 9.50pm, he said.
In yet another landslide at a factory area along Jalan Kuari, two Indian workers and a Malaysian were seriously injured after being crushed in a car workshop.
"It has been raining heavily since 5.30pm and the rain has not stopped," Morni said when contacted by The Star.
As at 10pm, some 150 people from 37 families have been evacuated from their homes, which were inundated with mud and floodwaters, and placed at the Ringlet community hall.
A police spokesman said the authorities were expecting the number of victims to increase due to continuous heavy rain.
He also said that as at 10.30pm, Tenaga Nasional Bhd had started slowly releasing water from the Sultan Abu Bakar Dam to avoid waters from reaching critical levels, failing which the dam gates will automatically open.
The flood prompted netizens such as Mohd Azham (@azhamvsvc) to take to Twitter to express their concern for the residents, saying; "Just saw the photos; that's a huge flood. Hope everyone in Ringlet, Cameron Highlands stay on higher ground".
"Flood in Cameron Highlands. Hope everyone is safe," tweeted Mohd Azham, who also posted photos of the incident showing the extent of the floodwaters as it flowed down streets.
On Oct 23 last year, four people died while over 100 houses and scores of vehicles were damaged when water and mud gushed through Bertam Valley after water was released from the Sultan Abu Bakar Hydroelectric Dam.
Three dead from Camerons mud flood
IVAN LOH The Star 6 Nov 14;
CAMERON HIGHLANDS: A total of three people were killed during the downpour that caused the mud flood and landslide at three areas here.
Cameron Highlands OCPD Deputy Supt Wan Mohd Zahari Wan Busu said one teenager was swept away by floodwater at Kuala Terla while two others were buried by landslide at Ringlet and Bertam Valley.
"The 13-year-old boy, R. Tunesh, was found about 5km from he was swept away at Batu 49, Kuala Terla.
"He was found by a riverbank by search and rescue personnel at about 8.45am,” he told journalists at the operations centre in Bertam Valley Thursday.
"His body has been sent to the hospital for post mortem," he added.
DSP Mohd Wan Zahari said a 48-year-old Indonesian, Anipan, was found buried at his rented house at Bertam Valley about 9.20am.
"He failed to escape from the house and was buried some one meter (three feet) under a pile of soil," he said.
"Another 66-year-old Nepalese, Md Yousuf Miya was also buried at his home at Ulu Merah in Ringlet" he added.
Bertam Valley in Cameron Highlands under water, again
SYLVIA LOOI New Straits Times 5 Nov 14;
CAMERON HIGHLANDS: The horror of the Bertam Valley mudflood which claimed four lives a year ago has returned to haunt residents on the highlands.
More than 20 houses in the Ringlet town, Ringlet New Village and Kampung Ulu Merah Ringlet were submerged in knee-deep muddy water after continuous heavy rain since evening caused Sungai Ringlet to overflow its banks.
A total of 150 people from 37 families staying at Ringlet New Village were evacuated to the Ringlet multipurpose hall at 10pm.
A fire and rescue department spokesman said one victim was trapped under the debris while a boy was swept away by flood waters.
“Six vehicles were also swept away,” he said.
A Tenaga Nasional Berhad spokesman said water from the nearby dam would be released if rain continued to pour.
“This may lead to mudfloods in the nearby Bertam Valley,” he said.
The affected villages are located barely 4km from Bertam Valley, which was hit by a deadly mudflood last October.
A Cameron Highlands fire and rescue station spokesman said they received a distress call about 7.04pm and dispatched its personnel to the scene.
Electricity to the affected villages had been cut off.
Cameron Highlands MCA division chief Datuk Yee Shan Kon said heavy rain lashed the area about 6pm.
"We are unsure of the extent of the damages for now as electricity to the areas have been cut off and the areas are in pitch darkness.
"I was made to understand that the banks of Sungai Ringlet gave way, leading muddy water and rubbish to overflow into nearby houses," he told the NST when contacted.
It was learnt that, should the heavy rain continue, water from the nearby dam would be released to ease pressure.
