Forensic report on Batang Kali landslide published

The forensic report for the landslide in Batang Kali, Hulu Selangor, on Dec 16 last year has been published on the National Disaster Management Agency (Nadma) website.

Its executive summary confirms what was revealed by Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi yesterday, that the deadly landslide at the Father's Organic Farm campsite occurred due to slope failure following heavy and persistent rainfall, and not because of human factors.

"The landslide was principally caused by natural failure, potentially influenced by rainfall and geological factors.

"The first landslide took place at approximately 2am with a dimension of slope failure of 120m length and a maximum depth of 14m. Due to the soil conditions, the debris reached the Riverside campsite located approximately 550m away.

"Subsequently, the landslide mass accumulated at the toe of the failed slope, forming an artificial, temporary dam," read the report's executive summary.

A special committee known as the Jawantankuasa Kumpulan Kerja Tanah Runtuh (JKKTR) was formed to conduct the investigation into the landslide which involved 92 victims, 61 of whom were rescued, while 31 others perished.

Committee members included representatives of the Public Works Department, technical agencies such as the Mineral and Geoscience Department, Measuring and Mapping Department, Meteorological Department, Irrigation and Drainage Department and appointed professional bodies.

The report said that the estimated volume of wastage was 283,000 cubic metres.

"The failure mode is a combination of the rotational slide and debris flow. Two significant factors that contribute to such events are rainfall and hydrogeology, which are related to the change in the underground water regime.

"There is no strong evidence that anthropogenic activities were a contributing factor to this landside event. Slope and road maintenance works were carried out according to the scheduled maintenance at the incident site," it added.

Anthropogenic refers to environmental change caused or influenced by people, either directly or indirectly.

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