SHAH ALAM: The residents of 72 houses in Taman Mega Jaya in Ampang, Selangor, will be ordered to evacuate after checks by authorities found the adjacent slope to be unsafe, says Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari.

       The 72 homes include the 48 that were already vacated on March 11 after the area was declared a disaster zone.

       “This is a safety precaution to ensure safety of residents in case there are subsequent soil movements on the slope.

       “Once the evacuation is complete, we will commence repair and upgrading works on the slope immediately,” he said when met at the state secretariat building here yesterday.

       Amirudin said the 72 homes include mostly houses in Taman Mega Jaya, with few others in Taman Bukit Permai.

       Taman Bukit Permai is located atop a hill next to the Taman Mega Jaya housing area.

       On March 13, the police ordered the evacuation of 15 households along Jalan Bukit Permai 1 after soil movement was detected on the hill.

       No casualties or destruction of property was reported then.

       A landslide on March 10 claimed four lives in Taman Mega Jaya while a fifth victim suffered minor injuries.

       Fifteen houses and 10 vehicles were also damaged in the incident.

       The area was declared a disaster zone a day later, resulting in the evacuation of the residents of 48 homes in Jalan Teratai 1/2K, Jalan Teratai 1/2J and Jalan Mega 15.