Landslide: Slim chance of victims being found alive

BATANG KALI - The chance for the 12 victims to be found safe is seen as very slim considering the landslide factors and the timeline of the incident, which has entered the second day.

Selangor Fire and Rescue Department chief Datuk Norazam Khamis said roughly the chance for the remaining victims to survive was very slim.

“(Based on the bodies found previously) The landslide buried the victims ‘ bodies deep in the ground, resulting in suffocation based on the circumstances and location of the incident.

"Unless the (remaining) victims are in a land pile area where there are piles of wood and stones, there may be a risk of the victim being safe if there are enough space and air,” he said in a press conference earlier.

He also said the search and rescue (SAR) operations would be focused at Sector B (Farmview camp) and Sector C (near the Riverside camp) since the last victim found yesterday was in between the two areas.

Norazam also said that the team would bring four excavators to clear the area of mud and fallen trees.

“However, the use of heavy machinery will depend on current weather conditions,” he said in a press conference.

The search area yesterday included Sector A (Hillview camp).

He also said the SAR operations today involved more than 150 personnel from various agencies, including police, the Civil Defence Force, and the Special Malaysia Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team (Smart).