An 83-year-old man has died after being caught in a landslide in Penang State, Malaysia, on Friday 15 September 2017. Liew Ah Kiew, of Jalan Buah Jambu, narrowly escaped from the incident, which destroyed his home, suffering injuries to the neck in the process. He died in hospital on Thursday 21 September of heart failure.
The funeral of Mr Liew Ah Kiew, who died after being caught in a landslide in Penang State, Malaysia. The Star.
The incident happened after weeks of heavy rainfall in the area; landslides are a common problem after severe weather events,
as excess pore water pressure can overcome cohesion in soil and
sediments, allowing them to flow like liquids. Malaysia has become increasingly landslip-prone in recent years due to
extensive deforestation, which leaves soil exposed to heavy tropical
rainfall.
Penang has suffered a series of weather-related incidents this month, including the worst flooding in fifteen years and a series of landslides. The state has a wet tropical climate with two distinct rainy seasons (common close to the equator, where the Sun is highest overhead around the equinoxes and lowest on the horizons around the solstices). These run from April to May and September to November, with peak rains in September and October.
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Landslide in Tanjung Bungah, Georgetown, Penang State, earlier this month. The Star.
Penang has suffered a series of weather-related incidents this month, including the worst flooding in fifteen years and a series of landslides. The state has a wet tropical climate with two distinct rainy seasons (common close to the equator, where the Sun is highest overhead around the equinoxes and lowest on the horizons around the solstices). These run from April to May and September to November, with peak rains in September and October.
Flooding in Penang State, Malaysia, earlier this month. Shahnaz Fazlie Shahrizal/New Straits Times.
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