(Nov 12): Twenty-eight occupants of the Pahang Forestry quarters were evacuated last night after the authorities declared the area unsafe after a major landslide near 52.4 km near Lentang-Bukit Tinggi of the Karak Highway yesterday evening.

Pahang Fire and Rescue Department deputy director Morni Mamat said they were given a temporary shelter at a mosque nearby until further notice.

He said the rescue team experienced difficulty reaching the evacuees as the bridge connecting the road to the quarters was damaged while other access roads were flooded. There are 10 buildings in the forestry quarters.

"Logs and sands also clogged the access road and we are monitoring the building structures and also checking soil movement at the location," he said.

The occupants will be allowed to return once the area is deemed safe.

Morni said heavy rainfall since 6pm yesterday was the cause of the landslide, which saw logs and other debris coming down the hill and on to the highway that is a major artery connecting Kuala Lumpur and the east coast of the peninsula at Kuantan.

Mud on the highway was about one metre high and had trapped several vehicles, whose occupants managed to get to their own safety.

There were no casualties reported in the incident.

The affected section of highway is still closed on the orders of the Fire and Rescue Department so that the road can be checked for soil movement.

Cleaning work is in progress and is being handled by the highway authorities.

The Malaysia Highway Authority in a press statement advised road users to exit at Bukit Tinggi or Bentong, or use trunk roads to bypass the congestion. – The Malaysian Insider