A landslide at a construction site in northern Malaysia has killed three foreign workers, and rescuers are searching for 11 others feared trapped in the mud and rubble, officials said on Saturday.
Fire and rescue official Mohamad Rizuan Ramli said a 10-metre-high hill slope crashed down at the construction site in northern Penang state, a popular tourist destination, early Saturday. The bodies of two Indonesians and an unidentified foreigner have been recovered he added.
Bangladeshi worker Mohammad Jashim Hussein Ahmad told the Bernama news agency that the landslide happened without warning and was over in just a minute, burying his friends who had no time to run.
Rescuers rushed to the Tanjung Bungah area on the north of Penang after the accident was reported just before 9am (8am Bangkok time), the fire and rescue department said.
Pictures showed large piles of earth had slipped off a hillside onto the site, where houses were being built.
Penang Island City Council mayor Maimunah Sharif said it was not clear what caused the accident but ruled out the possibility of wet weather as there had not been heavy rains for some days.
The rapid pace of construction on Penang has raised concerns about damage to the environment and that rules regarding safety are not always adhered to.
Tanjung Bungah, north of Penang's capital George Town, is home to beaches and some hotels, and is popular with expatriate residents.
George Town, a Unesco World Heritage Site, is a former British colonial trading outpost famed for its mix of architectural and religious influences and a vast range of street food.
