GEORGE TOWN: Residents evacuated after a fatal landslide in Taman Seri Rambai, Paya Terubong, will only be allowed to return home once authorities are satisfied that slope conditions are safe.
Deputy northeast district police chief Superintendent Lee Swee Sake said authorities would continue monitoring the affected area around the clock before allowing more residents to return.
He said the state disaster management committee had decided to allow occupants of two houses to be released from the evacuation restrictions, while the remaining homes would stay under observation until conditions improved.
"We will continue monitoring until it is stable before releasing every house from this observation," he said while accompanying Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow to visit the landslide site.
Lee said authorities hoped to allow more residents to return within the next few days, depending on the findings of ongoing assessments.
Chow acknowledged residents' concerns that further rain could trigger another landslide, adding that close monitoring was necessary to ensure their safety.
He said the developer of the condominium and road projects linked to Sunday's landslide would also be required to implement mitigation measures promptly after submitting its mitigation plan to secure the site and protect neighbouring homes from a recurrence.
The landslide claimed the life of Dr Wong Kar Lin and affected neighbouring properties, prompting evacuations as authorities assessed the stability of the slope.
The return of residents will depend on the authorities' assessment of site conditions, with safety remaining the priority before evacuation restrictions are lifted.
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