HULU SELANGOR: About 340 residents of Taman Idaman in Serendah here have been instructed to leave their homes following a major landslide early this morning.
Hulu Selangor police chief Superintendent R. Supramaniam said the landslide and its surrounding areas have been declared a red zone and residents were given until 1.45pm to vacate the housing area for safety.
The affected residents, he said, would be temporarily placed at Sekolah Rendah Agama Serendah, less than a kilometre from the scene.
Supramaniam said preliminary investigations showed that the landslide, which produced a huge sinkhole up to seven metre deep, was triggered by a water movement from the nearby hill.
At Press time, authorities are still inspecting the damage and the land is still considered unsafe.
Hulu Selangor MP P Kamalanathan, who visited the area this morning said: "I will make sure that they get all the help and necessity. For now, I urge them to evacuate the area for their own safety," he said.
A resident, Mohd Fakhrul Razi Yusof, 29, whose house was just next to the landslide said he received a call from his wife at 1am on the incident.
"When I reached here from wiork, I saw a huge hole right next to my house and residents were in a state of panic.
"Luckily, my wife and children are safe. Now we are in the midst of moving our valuables to a relative's house in Sungai Choh," he told the New Straits Times.
Taman Idaman Head of Residents Committee Mohd Mohd Noor said it all started with a loud noise.
"When I came out of the house, the roadside stalls were no longer there. The roadside car park was also gone.
"I hope the authorities will find a solution to this as soon as possible to ensure the safety of the residents and their belongings," he said.
In the 1am incident, one person was injured and nine vehicles were buried in the landslide.
Meanwhile, Selangor state government has given the green light to the state's Public Works Department to appoint a contractor and start an immediate assessment on the cause of the landslide.
Selangor exco Zaidy Abdul Talib said cost would not be an issue.
"There is no ceiling price for now in appointing the contractor for the temporary job.
"What is important is to stop the water flow with earth works and installation of sheet piles to stop the soil movement." he said.