KUALA LUMPUR: A 70-year-old security guard on night duty was killed after a 20 feet (6.09m)-tall embankment behind Wisma YPR in Taman Seputeh, Jalan Syed Putra collapsed early today.
The 12.53am landslide brought down tonnes of soil which buried a guardhouse.
A search and rescue team comprising Fire and Rescue Department, its Special Tactical Operation and Rescue Team of Malaysia (Storm), K9 Dog Unit, City Hall and police, found the man's remains at 6.23am.
A Fire and Rescue Department spokesman said the department received a distress call at 12.54am and a team 37 firemen from the Seputeh and Hang Tuah stations were dispatched to the scene.
"The operation was led by PB II Mohd Rizuan Razali and assisted by the department's K9 unit quickly sniffed out the victim's location.
"City Hall excavators were brought in to assist the retrieval of the guard's remains. He was buried 3m beneath the soil," he said, adding the SAR operation ended at 6.23am.
He said the victim's remain were surrendered to the police.
The department's spokesman also said an area measuring 6.09m-high and 12.19m wide was involved in the landslide and caused the guardhouse to collapse.
A spokesman from the City Police Control Centre, when contacted, confirmed the incident to the New Straits Times this morning.
"Police received a preliminary report of a landslide behind the Wisma YPR and efforts are underway to clear the boulders and soil. The road leading to the scene has been temporarily closed," she said.
Police, Fire and Rescue Department, Health Ministry, City Hall excavation workers, lorries and other relevant authorities have cordoned the road leading to Wisma YPR for remedial works.
As an immediate precautionary measures and to avoid further erosion, authorities are fixing canvas sheets at the area.
Yesterday evening's heavy rain in most parts of the Klang Valley most likely contributed to the incident.
This recent soil erosion that led to a collapsed guardhouse is the second such incident in Kuala Lumpur in nine days. A massive landslide had struck the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Academy grounds in Bukit Tunku on April 25, which also led to a guardpost to collapse although that incident did not see any fatalities or people injured.