A split second, a lifetime of loss: Family recalls fatal Paya Terubong landslide

PETALING JAYA, Oct 25 — A 73-year-old doctor was killed when a landslide struck his family’s home in Taman Seri Rambai, Paya Terubong, trapping him beneath collapsed concrete.

The victim, identified as Wong Kar Lin, died when a landslide hit the family’s residence at about 8.36am, trapping him beneath rubble in the kitchen while other family members managed to flee.

Speaking at the scene, Wong’s mother-in-law, Wong Poh Lim, who is in her 80s, recalled the terrifying moments leading up to the incident, Berita Harian (BH) reported 

She said she had been taking a shower in an upstairs bathroom when her daughter, Chang Mei Nuo, 68, alerted her to the landslide.

“We were shocked and immediately ran outside to save ourselves. Everything happened so quickly,” she told BH.

However, by the time they reached the ground floor, they discovered that Wong had already been pinned beneath collapsed concrete.

Poh Lim said only the three of them were at home when the landslide occurred, while the couple’s four children live elsewhere.

She described Wong as a devoted son-in-law, adding that his loss was especially painful after more than 30 years together under the same roof.

Although both she and her daughter escaped unhurt, she said she remained deeply shaken by the tragedy.

For Chang, the loss of her husband was difficult to put into words. She said she was nevertheless relieved that rescuers managed to recover Wong’s body intact from beneath the rubble.

Fire and Rescue Department personnel retrieved Wong’s body at about 11.21am, nearly three hours after the landslide struck.