Tanjung Bungah landslide

A landslide at a construction site at Tanjung Bungah, which is a suburb of George

Town in Penang, on 21 October 2017 killed 11 site workers. The slide, which occurred

at the construction site for two 49 storey residential towers, is known to have killed

workers from Indonesia, Bangladesh, Myanmar and Pakistan, as well as the site

supervisor from Malaysia.

The landslide at Tanjung Bungah in George Town, Penang.

Studies have shown that hillside development can have serious irreversible impact on

the immediate surroundings and downstream environment in the form of deforestation,

soil erosion, water pollution, the extinction of flora and fauna, flash floods and

landslides. It is possible to minimize the risk of landslides if initiatives are taken and

science, technology and prudent policies are deployed. Indiscriminate cutting of

hillslopes has caused serious environmental issues and failure to observe safety
standards and guidelines is making us pay the price with human lives. The area around

Tanjung Bungah has been identified as one of the high risk locations for landslides for

the past five years, said a landslide and disaster management expert.