Deadly Landslide Hits Malaysian Orphanage
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A landslide caused by heavy rains has hit an orphanage in Malaysia, killing more than a dozen children after they were buried under mud and rubble.
District police chief Abdul Rashid Wahab said the bodies of 15 boys, aged 8 to 18, and a 34-year-old caretaker have so far been recovered.
He said six boys and three wardens who were critically injured have been hospitalised.
The incident took place at around 2.30pm local time at the Children's Hidayah Madrasah al Taqwa orphanage in Hulu Langat, just south of the capital Kuala Lumpur.
Mohammed Iman Abdullah, a 14-year-old who escaped the landslide, was quoted as saying: "I shouted to others to run and in a split second the earth came tumbling down, burying many of my friends."
Che Rosli Che Mat, a politician with the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party, expressed shock over the tragedy and said efforts to rescue the victims had been hampered by heavy rain.
Rescue workers at the scene
He said the orphanage was located on a hill slope in his constituency, and there had been downpours in the semi-rural area for the past two days.
He added that 100 people including firefighters and police officers had been involved in the rescue operation.
The tragedy struck when the children were playing traditional Malay drums under a tent near a steep slope.
"The landslide happened very fast. Only a few children managed to escape," Mr Che Rosli said.(source:http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/World-News)
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