BATANG KALI, Dec 20 — The personnel involved in the search and rescue (SAR) operations in the landslide incident at the Father’s Organic Farm campsite in Gohtong Jaya, here, will not give up on doing their duty although it has now been five days.
Selangor Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM) assistant operations director Hafisham Mohd Noor said, in fact, some of the personnel even refused to leave the search location despite being given permission to take a break.
“They have continued to show sheer determination to trace the remaining victims who are still missing.
“Perhaps they feel it’s not right to leave the scene because they have been toiling from day one,” he told Bernama at the on-scene command post.
He, however, said the safety and health of the search team would always be given priority and that they needed sufficient rest to be able to continue their search operations.
Yesterday, Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Acryl Sani Abdullah Sani said he was confident that the police personnel would give their full commitment to carry out the SAR mission.
Besides the Fire and Rescue Department and police, the other three agencies involved are the Malaysian Armed Forces (ATM), Civil Defence Force (APM) and Special Malaysia Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team (SMART).
In the 2.42am incident on Friday (Dec 16), a landslide measuring 300 metres long and 70 metres high occurred at the campsite which is located at Jalan Genting-Batang Kali.
As of 4pm today, 24 victims have been confirmed dead while nine others are still missing out of the total of 94 people involved in the incident. — Bernama
