Landslide destroys eight houses

The view of the destroyed houses in Kampung Lereng Bukit, Canada Hill, yesterday.

MIRI: A landslide in Canada Hill destroyed eight houses in nearby Kampung Lereng Bukit yesterday.

The foothill area of Bukit Canada where the landslide occurred.

Seventy-four villagers have been moved to the Miri Red Crescent building, bringing the number of evacuees to 108 since the first landslide on Jan 16 that killed two petrol station workers.

Witnesses said earth movements were first detected about 9.30am yesterday and, fearing the worst, most of the villagers left their homes.

Their fear became a reality when six houses were brought down by the landslide at 1pm and another two at 3pm.

Miri police chief Assistant Commissioner Jamaluddin Ibrahim said Canada Hill had been declared unsafe.
Another 18 homes there are also in danger.

Kampung Lereng Bukit is 1km from a Shell petrol station which was destroyed in a landslide on Jan 16, killing two of its Indonesian workers.

That incident forced 38 villagers living nearby to vacate their homes and most of them are still housed at the Miri Red Crescent Society building.