At least twelve people have been killed in Malaysia after a landslide hit an orphanage, near Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur, police said.


The incident took place on Saturday at about 2:30pm (0630 GMT) in the village of Hulu Langat in central Selangor state, just south of Kuala Lumpur.

Police say they have rescued nine people but four are still missing.

Al Jazeera's Divya Gopalan, reporting from Kuala Lumpur, said, "Police commissioner has said they are still looking for the four little boys and they are worried that they may not have survived up until now. It's been many hours they would have been under the mud and with each passing hour the chances of survival diminish."

"Rescue operation is underway. About 150 rescue workers from the army, police, firemen were there including loads of villagers who were standing around trying to see what is going to happen," she said.

"There were dozens of children present in the orphanage when the landslide hit, all younger than 18 years old."

"Rescuers have to dig using their hands and other equipment because the soil surrounding is very soft due to the rain,'' Abdul Rashid Wahab, district police chief, told the Associated Press news agency.

"The house wasn't damaged but was partly covered in sludge. Several tall trees fell along with the landslide. Several houses near the orphanage have been told to evacuate amid concerns of further landslides."

An officicial said heavy rainfall had likely caused the landslide. He said rain was still falling and hampering rescue work, which would last until nightfall.

Mohamad Hambali Ismail, a warden at the orphanage, told local media that the children were preparing to receive visitors when the earth shook.

"I heard a loud noise. Suddenly the earth was chasing me. I had to run to save myself," Hambali, told the Malay-language Berita Harian newspaper.

The Al Jazeera correspondent said, "Rain has not stopped and it is still drizzling so it's difficult for people to get anywhere. Streets have been flooded and that would have a problem for ambulances who have to try to get to the hospital if they pull out more people."

"Also, infrastructure here is not great. Once they do find people, getting them to hospital is going to be another problem," Gopalan said.