Nine bodies retrieved from landslide-hit orphanage; 7 remain buried - The Star

Published: Saturday May 21, 2011 MYT 4:54:00 PM
Updated: Saturday May 21, 2011 MYT 10:54:29 PM

KAJANG: A landslide hit an orphanage Saturday afternoon killing nine and leaving seven still buried.

Firemen and villagers managed to pull out nine alive by 10pm from the Rumah Anak Yatim Hidayah, Madrasah Al-Takwa, Jalan Felcra Semungkus, 14th mile, Hulu Langat, near Kajang.

The dead and alive have been sent to the Ampang and Kajang Hospitals.

Rescuers rushing one of the injured children to the ward at Ampang Hospital

"Two landslides occurred simultaneously. All the victims did not have time to escape," said Selangor CPO Datuk Tun Hisan Tun Hamzah at a press conference at 6.45pm.

He said all those affected were 20 students attending a motivational camp at the orphanage and four caretakers.

A total of 49 students and caretakers were there but 24 escaped unhurt.

He said the body of the first victim was pulled out from the debris at about 4.30pm while the second body was retrieved at 5pm and the third at 6.10pm. The other two were pulled out at about 7.40pm. The sixth was pulled out at 9.50pm. The seventh and eighth were pulled out at 10.25pm.

The back portion of the orphanage where the landslide occurred

The orphanage was partially buried by the landslides at about 2.30pm on Saturday.

Meanwhile, Deputy IGP Datuk Khalid Abu Bakar said that rescuers were being hampered by wet soil and rain.

He also appealed to the crowd of onlookers to stay back and allow the rescuers to do their work unimpeded.

Bernama reported that in ALOR GAJAH, Malacca, Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil directed the Social Welfare Department and the 'Skuad Sayang' (Caring Squad) to provide immediate assistance to the orphans and family of the victims.

"I will get in touch with the police to obtain detailed information and the actual cause of the landslide so that my ministry can take follow-up action to assist the victms," she said. - The Star

Blog House Launches fund to help fellow blogger

Link:http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10150187590178149&set=a.167999438148.123096.714458148&type=1&theater&pid=7129971&id=714458148


Blog House Malaysia has launched a fund for Kerp or Danny, a wheelchair-bound blogger, who has been actively writing since 2007and who is also a former columnist with the Malay Mail.

His wife, Molee, whom he married in March last year, after a courtship of 11 years, has been diagnosed with kidney cancer and the cells have now spread to her lower vetebra requiring radiaton.

Click here to know more about the fund and how you can help.

Analysis: Killing the alibi - Opinion - Al Jazeera

Washington has less reason or justification to wage war in Afghanistan now that Osama bin laden is no more...


The killing of Osama bin Laden is more of a symbolic victory for the Obama administration than a game changer for the US strategy in the "Greater Middle East".

After 10 years of pursuing al-Qaeda's leader, responsible for the September 11, 2001 attacks, the US has closed a chapter, but not the book, in its war on al-Qaeda and "international terrorism".

Since the attacks on New York and Washington, "al-Qaeda central" which was being run from the Pakistani Afghan border, has mutated into a global network of affiliates.

US "terrorism experts" have been split over the relevance of "al-Qaeda central" under the direct leadership of bin Laden and his lieutenants, in comparison to the global network of smaller cells and hardcore fighters who pledged allegiance to the leadership, or to put it bluntly, to the brand: "al-Qaeda".
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Those who discount the importance of the 'disconnected and on-the-run' al-Qaeda leaders on the border of Pakistan and Afghanistan underline the importance of the decentralisation of the group.

They refer to it as SPIN (segmented, polycentric, ideologically networked) group, where al-Qaeda fighters in various parts of the world have increasingly acted on their own without direct orders or logistical and financial support from "al-Qaeda central".

In that way, al-Qaeda was more of a global and post-modern creature or phenomenon than a religious one. continue here : Analysis: Killing the alibi - Opinion - Al Jazeera English