malaysiangIPOH, Dec 3 — The search and rescue operations at the landslide area at Km 27.10 Jalan Simpang Pulai-Cameron Highlands here which took place yesterday, was terminated at about 6 pm today as there was no indication that there were other victims buried.
A spokesman for the Perak Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM) said operations using heavy machinery and the assistance of the Special Tactical Operations and Rescue Malaysia Team (STORM), Detective Dog Unit (K9) and Special Malaysian Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team (SMART) were carried out to ensure no more victims were in the debris.
“The closing meeting of the Control Post on Scene (PKTK) was held with all agencies and it was decided that the PKTK be closed,” he said in a statement here tonight.
He said the search and rescue team in the operation involved 143 people, including 32 firefighters, 26 STORM members, seven K9 Unit members and four policemen assisted by the concession company, Belati Wangsa, with 31 personnel.
A landslide incident at noon yesterday left lorry driver Muhammad Hafiz Hamdi, 31, and the driver of a Toyota Alphard vehicle known as Tan Chee Heng, 36, dead as a result of being buried before their bodies were successfully extricated by the fire and rescue department (JBPM) last night.
Both the wreckage of the lorry and the car were also successfully removed this afternoon using excavators.
JBPM Perak received a distress call about the incident at about 1.44 pm yesterday and the initial observation found that two vehicles were buried in the landslide and work to clear the piles of earth using an excavator was activated immediately at the scene.
Source: BERNAMA News Agency
