Cameron Highlands landslide: More soil movement detected near disaster area

IPOH: More soil movement has been detected near the area where the landslide occurred along Jalan Simpang Pulai-Cameron Highlands here, according to the Perak Public Works Department (JKR).

Perak Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Saarani Mohamad said that the JKR told this to him on Friday (Dec 3).

“JKR has tools to detect (soil) movement. During a meeting last night, the Perak police chief Comm Datuk Mior Faridalathrash Wahid alerted me about the recent movement.

“The road has been closed for at least a week. Therefore, those who wish to go to Cameron Highlands can use the route from Tapah instead.

“However, since the Tapah road was closed recently due to a landslide a few weeks ago, we advise the public to be careful,” he told reporters after officiating the state youth assembly sitting at a hotel here on Saturday (Dec 4).

On Dec 2, a massive landslide occurred at KM27 of Jalan Simpang Pulai-Blue Valley, burying a vegetable-laden lorry and a multi-purpose vehicle (MPV).

Two bodies were retrieved from the debris – lorry driver Muhammad Hafiz Hamdi, 31, and Tan Chee Heng, 36, the MPV driver.

On another issue, Saarani said two Covid-19 clusters have been reported at two schools in the state.

“The first school is in Kuala Kangsar and is in Bagan Datuk.

“All infected students are currently under quarantine at their schools,” he said, adding that no schools in the state are closed due to Covid-19.

He said the Bagan Datuk school cluster had 14 cases.

On Dec 1, Sinar Harian reported that at least six Form Five students from Maktab Rendah Sains Mara Sultan Azlan Shah had tested positive for Covid-19.