KUALA LUMPUR: While we were so busy talking about politics, we almost forget that two young sisters were killed when a landslide flattened their bungalow in Ulu Yam Perdana, Gombak, at dawn yesterday.
Their mother, clad only in her nightgown and barefooted, walked 3km to the Woods Resort to get help after the landslide devastated the family home in Jalan Belida 1.The bodies of Noratikah, 16, and Norintan Sharina, 9, were recovered hours later.The landslide was believed to have occurred at 5.30am when a portion of the hillside broke off and crashed into the side of housewife Azizah Md Don's house.There were seven people in the house when the incident occurred -- Azizah, her husband Roslan Mohd Jali and three children were in the master bedroom while Noratikah and Norintan were in another room.
The couple's eldest daughter, Noraina Ayu, 21, is studying at Universiti Teknologi Mara in Malacca.
According to Roslan, 49, he woke up about 6am and discovered that the entrance of the room was blocked with debris and soil. Alarmed, he woke his wife and three children, Norlisa Azira, 8, Anis Afinah, 6, and Norman Afiq, 5.
Roslan, a pilot for community airline Firefly, managed to break a hole in the ceiling through which he and his wife with their children managed to crawl out.
"I will never forget their screams and pleas. I think that they were trapped under the wardrobes in their room," said Azizah.
"They were crying for help but neither my husband nor me could go to their aid."
Although the survivors managed to get out from the house, they could not go far as the road was covered with mud.
Worried about another landslide, Azizah left her husband to care for their three children while she went to look for help.
Azizah went to the Woods Resort first but the staff there did not know what emergency numbers to call and she was forced to turn to the Rock Resort for assistance. Furthermore, she had to flag down a passing vehicle for a lift.
At the Rock Resort, a staff, Nurafifah Hanin Abdul Kadir, contacted her father who called for help.
Police, Rela, the Public Works Department, the Fire and Rescue Department and Special Malaysia Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team personnel were among those who conducted search and rescue operations.
Noraina Ayu rushed home after hearing about the incident.
he two bodies were found at 12.30pm and 3.35pm, respectively.