Dozens feared buried alive after landslide hits campsite north of Kuala Lumpur

More than 50 people are feared buried alive after a landslide hit a campsite outside Kuala Lumpur early on Friday, Malaysia’s fire department has said.

A child and a woman were found dead and 51 others were missing after the incident in Batang Kali, around 31 miles north of the capital, an official told The Associated Press.

79 people were believed to have been at the site when the landslide struck.

Three people were injured while rescuers were searching for the estimated 51 missing people, the official said. Another 23 people have been rescued.

Selangor Fire and Rescue Department chief Norazam Khamis was reported by Bernama news agency as saying that firefighters began arriving at the scene half an hour after receiving a distress call at 2.24am local time (1824 GMT on Thursday).

The landslide fell from an estimated height of 30 metres (98 feet) and covered an area of about 0.4 hectares, he said.

The campsite is located on an organic farm not far from the Genting Highlands hill resort, a popular tourist destination with theme parks and Malaysia’s only casino.

According to its website, there are three camping sites with facilities at the farm popular with locals and that people can bring their own tents and equipment or rent them from the farm.