AMPANG: An elderly man was rescued from rubble but his wife died while three others remain missing after tonnes of earth came tumbling down from a hill near a housing area in Taman Bukit Permai after a downpour.

       Rescue workers managed to free the man, aged 87, from his house which was buried under the rubble at 6.54pm yesterday.

       Ampang Jaya OCPD Asst Comm Mohamad Farouk Eshak said the remains of the second victim – a woman – was pulled out at about 9.10pm.

       We learned that the victim, aged 85, was the wife of the man who had been freed earlier.

       “Fire and Rescue Department personnel spotted the second victim at 7.53pm but only succeeded in bringing her out more than one hour later.

       “Efforts to rescue three other victims – two residents and an Air Selangor worker – are still ongoing as they are believed to be buried under the rubble,” he told reporters when met at the site.

       Yesterday’s tragedy came just 72 hours after massive floods hit Kuala Lumpur and parts of Selangor, leaving a trail of destruction, damaging hundreds of cars and shutting down 40 substations around the Klang Valley due to the heavy deluge.

       A victim being rescued by firemen. — Photo courtesy of Kwong Wah Yit Poh/Fire and Rescue Department’s Facebook page

       ACP Mohamad Farouk said the police has advised nearby residents to evacuate to the Taman Mega Jaya temporary relief centre nearby as a safety precaution.

       “For now, there is no soil movement.

       “But we fear that the situation will change if it starts to rain again,” he said, adding that the rescue operation involved more than 100 personnel from several agencies, including the police, Fire and Rescue Department, Civil Defence Force and Ampang Jaya Municipal Council.

       Selangor Fire and Rescue Department director Norazam Khamis said some 15 houses and 10 vehicles were affected by the latest incident.

       He said a fire engine with nine staff members from the Pandan fire station was deployed to the scene as soon as a distress call was received at 5.54pm.

       “The first victim was rescued within one hour and he only suffered light injuries.

       “The remains of a woman was retrieved at the second house near the landslide. She was pronounced dead by medical officers,” he said.

       Another calamity: The tragedy came just 72 hours after major floods hit Kuala Lumpur and parts of Selangor. — CHAN TAK KONG/The Star

       Norazam said while rescue efforts would continue, the operation could be suspended momentarily if a downpour occurs.

       Azril Sham Mohamed, 50, said when the landslides occurred, he had just returned home from work in Bangi at about 6pm when he suddenly heard a loud bang.

       “There were two landslides during the drizzle.

       “I quickly alerted my wife and children and we ran for our lives,” he said at the scene.

       Azril said he has been living in the area for 13 years and this was the first time a landslide had happened there.