Four vehicles trapped under KL-Karak highway mudslide unearthed

Four vehicles which were buried under the mudslide at the Kuala Lumpur-Karak Highway this evening have been unearthed.

Pahang Fire and Rescue Department deputy director Morni Mamat said the eight passengers who were initially trapped in the vehicles have been rescued.

No casualties have been reported in this incident, he added.

The mudslide, which occurred around 7pm at KM52.4 of the KLK, saw traffic came to a standstill for hours.

The roads were closed to traffic in both directions. Motorists from Kuala Lumpur had to turn around and used alternatives routes in Bukit Tinggi or via the Lentang rest area while those from Kuantan had to use the back road from Bentong Timur.

Meanwhile, Morni told Astro AWANI that he himself was stuck in traffic while heading to the scene due to road users blocking the emergency lanes.

“Road users should not block the emergency lanes as it hinders our work in trying to get to scene quickly,” he said.

He added that they had called for backup from their teams in Selangor and Kuala Lumpur to observe the situation and traffic while the cleanup works are ongoing.

READ: Mudslide eyewitness: 'I saw water gushing, cars were almost adrift'