“EVERYTHING happened in a split second and in that time, I lost my niece, students and colleagues in the tragedy.”

That was the devastating recollection of a survivor, who wished to be known as Toi, of the December 16 landslide at Father’s Organic Farm in Batang Kali.

The SJKC Mun Choong teacher, who went on the unofficial school trip with fellow teachers and their families, also brought along her two children, aged five and two, and her 13-year-old nephew and 11-year-old niece.

Toi lost her niece, Ng Yee Tong, in the tragedy.

Worst still, among the seven female teachers, including Toi, who went for the holiday, she was the only one who survived the tragic event.

Three of her students also died, she said.

Recounting the incident, Toi, 38, said all she heard were loud screams in the early hours when disaster struck.

“It was already late at night and most of us at the campsite were already sleeping,” she told The Malaysian Insight.

“Suddenly, I heard a loud scream. I woke up to check but things happened so quickly, and the next thing I knew, I was already buried in the mud.

“Fortunately, there were people who heard my shouts for help and they rescued me.

“My body was almost completely buried but my left arm and leg were free. That enabled the people to spot and rescue me.”

Toi shared her traumatic experience with The Malaysian Insight after she attended an appreciation event held by Hulu Selangor PKR division chief Dr N. Sathia Prakash, recognising the sacrifice and contribution of agencies in the search-and-rescue operation after the landslide.

Toi said she was buried for a few minutes before she was rescued.

She said her two-year-old son was saved before the SAR team arrived.

“When I was buried, I wanted to give up because I couldn’t take it. I was already exhausted, but I could hear my daughter crying. I held on and shouted for help,” said Toi.

“When I was rescued, I saw that my kids were saved and my nephew had made it to a safe place, but my niece was missing.”

There were three sectors at the campsite – Sector A (hill view), Sector B (farm view) and Sector C (river side).

Toi said they were in Sector A when the disaster struck and they later moved to Sector B, which was safer at the time.

Finding niece

Upon realising that her niece was missing, Toi began searching for her.

“I could roughly identify where my niece could have been buried based on her tent location but she was buried deep down,” a tearful Toi said.

“I called out for help. We did not have any tools to dig. So we used our hands but we couldn’t find her.”

She then informed the SAR team when they arrived and pleaded with them to find her niece.

She prayed while the rescuers got down to work. Toi is a Buddhist.

“The Bomba (Fire Department) team did not inform me of her condition when they found her.

“All I wanted to know was if she was okay, but they did not want to tell me in case I could not take the news.

“But I already knew that she did not make it,” said Toi, covering her face with her hands.

She, however, thanked the rescuers for helping to find her niece.

“Whatever it is, I’m thankful to them. If not, my niece’s body would probably not be found,” she said.

Unable to face reality

Toi said the tragic event was a “nightmare” that will now live with her throughout her life.

She said she could not face her elder sister, whose child was the niece who died.

Thirty-one people died in the landslide, 11 of whom were linked to the school. Sixty-one others survived.

Among the dead were the six teachers who were her colleagues.

“It has impacted me deeply because not only am I personally involved but people I know are no longer alive because of this tragedy,” she said.

Toi said she does not dare to look at the workstations of her departed colleagues.

“When I went back to work, I could not bear to look at the places where my colleagues used to sit. I don’t dare walk past their workstations,” she said.

Toi said she would pray daily for peace of mind.

“Every night, I would break down. I can’t control my emotions. I can’t do it during the day because my family will get worried seeing me like that,” she added. – January 15, 2023.