PETALING JAYA: According to Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, the deadly Batang Kali landslide tragedy that occurred last year was not caused by human activity but rather by a significant rainfall event. Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who chaired the Central Disaster Management Committee, stated that the investigation into the tragedy revealed that it was the result of major cumulative rainfall over a five-day period before the landslide happened.
Based on the forensic analysis, it was found that the main triggering factor was the heavy rainfall, which was a combination of the major cumulative rainfall over five days and the antecedent rainfall over a 30-day period before the collapse. The amount of rainfall during these periods was 118.6mm and 444.8mm, respectively.
In his statement on Tuesday (Oct 17), Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said, “This heavy rain caused the slope failure, burying the camping site, including the Hill View, Farm View, and River Side areas, and resulting in property damage and loss of life. The investigation did not find strong evidence linking human activity to this landslide event.”
For more information, refer to the full report on the Batang Kali landslide set to be released in three weeks.
Future updates will be provided.
