Victims of landslide tragedy meet their heroes

SHAH ALAM - A married couple, who are victims of the landslide tragedy in Batang Kali which became a dark history for the country have met some of their heroes.

The couple, whose two children died in the fateful incident were among the earliest survivors to be rescued.

They expressed gratitude to the rescuers from the Civil Defence Force (APM) for saving their lives and the lives of the other victims.

In a Facebook post on Monday, the Selangor APM said the couple had met Captain (PA) Hilmi Husman, Junior Lieutenant (PA) Mohammad Amin Rosdi and Junior Staff (PA) Mohd Firdaus Abd Samad during a brief meeting.

The three who were from the Hulu Selangor district APM were among the first rescuers to arrive at the scene on the day of the incident.

"Although they lost their children in the incident, the couple appreciated the services of all rescuers who had worked together to save the victims' lives.

"The male victim further disclosed that he was the first to dial the emergency line and described the heartbreaking moment when he realised that his wife and child were trapped inside the vehicle.

"During the incident, he was only able to watch from afar while rescuers tried to save his wife and children," it wrote.

In the post, APM also mentioned about how the man's wife had asked rescuers to save their child's life first before her, but the rescuers did not have the heart to tell her that her son had died at that time until the situation was under control.

The couple also hoped that there were more rescuers in the world who can help anyone experiencing a disaster or accident and even be able to provide early treatment to save lives.

Meanwhile, Captiain Hilmi described the meeting with the survivors as "priceless" saying that he never expected anything in return throughout his career as a civil defence officer.

A total of 61 victims have been rescued from the Dec 16 tragedy at the Father's Organic Farm campsite in Batang Kali. The incident claimed 31 lives.