Landslide at Malaysia campground leaves 9 dead, 25 missing
Kuala Lumpur (AP): A landslide on Friday at a tourist campground in Malaysia left nine people dead and authorities said 25 people were feared buried at the site on an organic farm outside the capital of Kuala Lumpur.
An estimated 94 Malaysians were believed to have been at the campsite in Batang Kali in central Selangor state, around 50 kilometres (31 miles) north of Kuala Lumpur, when the incident occurred, said district police chief Suffian Abdullah.
They had entered the area, a popular recreational site for locals to pitch or rent tents from the farm, on Wednesday.
A five-year-old boy was among the dead, Suffian told a televised news conference. Suffian said seven people have been hospitalised with injuries and rescuers were searching for the estimated 25 missing people.
Another 53 people were rescued without harm. Around 400 personnel were involved in the search and rescue efforts.
The Selangor fire department said firefighters began arriving at the scene half an hour after receiving a distress call at 2.24 am.
The landslide fell from the side of a road from an estimated height of 30 metres (98 feet) and covered an area of about three acres (1.2 hectare), it said.
It posted pictures of rescuers with flashlights digging through soil and rubble in the early hours of the morning.
Bernama news agency posted a video of some families with young children who were rescued taking refuge at a nearby police station.
The campsite is located on an organic farm not far from the Genting Highlands hill resort, a popular tourist destination with theme parks and Malaysia's only casino. Access to roads leading to the area have been blocked.
Malaysia has been experiencing year-end monsoon rains, but it wasn't clear if it was raining before the landslide. (AP)
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UP Cong holds statewide protest seeking probe into FIR against Swami Avimukteshwaranand
Lucknow (PTI): The Uttar Pradesh Congress on Wednesday staged a statewide protest demanding a fair and transparent inquiry into the FIR lodged against Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati and those who filed the complaint against him.
In a statement issued here, the party said memorandums addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi were submitted through district magistrates in all districts of the state.
Uttar Pradesh Congress spokesperson Manish Hindvi told PTI that the memorandums were handed over through the district administration in all 75 districts.
In the memorandum, the party alleged that Saraswati and his disciples were "unnecessarily harassed and humiliated" by police on the occasion of Amavasya and were prevented from taking a ritual bath (at the Magh Mela). It further alleged that some disciples were manhandled and taken to a police station.
The memorandum also claimed that an FIR was later registered against Saraswati, his disciple Swami Mukundanand Brahmachari and several unidentified persons in a sexual harassment case. It termed the case a "conspiracy" aimed at tarnishing the seer's reputation.
Citing Articles 25 and 26 of the Constitution, the memorandum stated that these provisions guarantee religious freedom and the right of religious denominations to manage their own affairs.
It described the position of shankaracharya held by Saraswati as "one of the highest spiritual posts in Sanatan tradition" and alleged that the entire episode appeared to have been "orchestrated in a planned manner".
"We request that the background of the persons who got the FIR registered be investigated in a transparent manner by a retired high court judge and strict action be taken against them," the memorandum said.
It also sought a "fair and transparent probe" into the allegations levelled against Saraswati so that the truth could be established.
Earlier, Uttar Pradesh Congress president Ajay Rai had told reporters in Varanasi after meeting Saraswati that the party stood firmly with him.
The Congress said it would continue to press for an impartial inquiry into the entire episode.
On February 21, an FIR was lodged in Prayagraj against Saraswati and his disciple Mukundanand Brahmachari on charges of sexually abusing two persons, including a minor, over the past year at a gurukul and religious congregations, including the recently concluded Magh Mela.
Days after he was booked, Saraswati had said on Monday that he would not oppose his arrest and asserted that the "fabricated story" would be exposed sooner or later.
At a press conference on Wednesday, Saraswati alleged that criminals rule in Uttar Pradesh, level allegations and influence investigations, as he denied having any contact with the two persons for whose alleged sexual abuse he has been booked.
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