IPOH: Fifty years ago, many Gunung Cheroh villagers lost their loved ones during a rockslide in 1973.
At the time, the village was known as Kampung Kacang Putih and it was situated at the base of the limestone hills. The tragic incident resulted in the loss of 40 lives and the destruction of 20 houses.
On October 18, 1973, a week before Deepavali, heavy rain triggered the rockslide at around 7pm. The majority of the settlement’s residents were Indians. To this day, some of the victim’s bodies remain unfound.
The Perak National Archives Department organized an event on Tuesday (Oct 24) where several villagers shared their accounts of the tragedy. The event was launched by A. Sivanesan, the chairman of the state human resources, health, Indian community affairs, and national integration committee.
P. Mariyaee, 70, who takes care of a small Hindu temple within the limestone cave, and T. Subrumaniam, 62, a kacang putih entrepreneur in Buntong, were the two speakers who shared their experiences during the event.
Mariyaee, then 19 years old, recalled that an old man dressed in dirty clothes warned her to run away from the area between 5.30pm and 6pm. She shared her concerns with her family and other villagers, but no one believed her. Shortly after, the tragedy unfolded, claiming numerous lives.
“Shortly before the incident, the animals in the area became restless and made unusual sounds,” Mariyaee added. She expressed that her sister-in-law’s body was discovered floating in a nearby pool three days after the tragedy. The villagers later believed that the man who warned Mariyaee was a religious person who had foreseen the catastrophe.
Subrumaniam, who was 12 years old at the time, shared that his father was the chairman of Kampung Kacang Putih. He remembered watching television when the power abruptly went out due to the heavy rain and strong winds. When he went outside to investigate, he witnessed the presence of police, firemen, ambulance, and army personnel at the site, which was enveloped in complete darkness.
Subrumaniam stated, “The area was sealed off and intense rescue efforts were underway. Throughout the following year, curious visitors came to see the site of the tragedy.” He mentioned that a year later, the villagers were relocated to the current Kampung Kacang Putih in Buntong.
Two other villagers, Joyah Saad, 61, and V. Krishnamah, 74, also shared their recollections of that fateful day. Joyah was nine years old at the time and lost her father and older sister during the incident. She described trees falling, heavy rain, and strong winds that caused roofs to be blown away. Krishnamah, who was 24 at the time, recounted how she lost her mother, sister, and brother. She learned about the tragedy from a relative while returning from a shopping trip for Deepavali clothing. Despite many years passing, Krishnamah struggled to visit the site or even participate in Thaipusam at the Sri Subramaniar Temple in Gunung Cheroh.
Sivanesan informed reporters that a memorial site would be constructed at the location soon. He estimated the cost to be between RM30,000 and RM40,000. Sivanesan also pleaded with the public to refrain from littering at the site and to show respect for the deceased. He shared that just before the event, a significant amount of rubbish had to be cleared from the area.
