Batang Kali landslide: more than 80 pct of collapsed site has been inspected

BATANG KALI - More than 80 per cent of the collapsed area at Fathers' Organic Farm campsite, Gohtong Jaya, here has been checked by rescuers so far to find the remaining of nine victims who are still missing.

Selangor Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM) director Datuk Norazam Khamis said the soft ground and rainy weather contributed to the underground water reservoir thus rendering the search and rescue operation -- now in its fourth day -- difficult.

He said that although only 20 per cent of the search area remains, the safety of the rescuers should also be taken into account.

"The soil here is really soft and coupled with rainwater, it causes the soil structure to become moist and weak, it is difficult to move in this kind of condition," he told Bernama.

So far, a total of 135 rescuers have been deployed in the site in collaboration with various agencies to search for nine more victims who have yet to be found.

The landslide tragedy that occurred at 2.42 am last Friday at the campsite has so far seen 61 survivors, 24 dead and nine victims are still missing out of a total of 94 people.

Norazam said that the SAR operation has been divided into three sectors, namely sector A (Hill view), sector B (Farm View) and sector C (River View) involving the cooperation of five main government agencies that are working hand in hand to deal with the disaster and there are also several other support agencies..

"Since the first day of SAR, we have been using an excavator which greatly facilitates our work because it can be used continuously and can reduce manpower for digging the ground.

"Rescuers have carried out detection and search for victims according to the area of the collapse, that is from the top of the ruins to the area below," he said.- BERNAMA