Malaysia campsite landslide kills 21

In Malaysia, at least 21 people including children killed after a landslide hit a holiday campsite in Batang Kali township of Selangor state on Friday. Fire and Rescue Department said , a total of 79 people were feared to be caught in the disaster and 23 were found safe. Malaysian authorities said that 14 people were still missing. It added about 700 officials are involved in the search and rescue operations. Authorities told local media that the landowners did not have a licence to run a campground. The operator has government approval to run an organic farm but has no licence for camping activities. It is currently the season for monsoon rains in Malaysia, and the country's government development minister, Nga Kor Ming, said all campsites country-wide that are near rivers, waterfalls and hillsides would be closed for a week to assess their safety. After visiting the site late on Friday, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim announced a special payment to the families of those killed as well as survivors.The campsite is not far from the Genting Highlands hill resort, a popular tourist destination with theme parks and Malaysia’s only casino.