A close-knit village on the outskirts of the Malaysian capital was grieving yesterday for the deaths of 16 people, mostly children, after an orphanage was hit by a devastating landslide. As the search for bodies ended, a local lawmaker said the orphanage, situated at the foot of the hill from where the mudslip thundered down, had been built without official permission.


Last respects: Muslim families mourn for the boys who lost their lives
in the landslide. Pic/AFP

Following heavy rain on Saturday, rocks, sand and mud swept through a tent where the orphans and some of their carers had been practising a drum performance, witnesses said. A policeman at the scene said 16 bodies had been recovered, including a 34-year-old carer. The ages of the others killed ranged from eight to 19 years old, while 10 people remain in hospital. "The search and rescue operation is over. We have completed our mission," said an officer at the scene. The town of Hulu Langat was in a state of grief, with hundreds of people paying their respects to the boys.