BATANG KALI, Dec 19 — 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 nine victims who are still missing.
Selangor Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM) director Datuk Norazam Khamis said the soft ground factor and rainy weather contributed to the underground water reservoir which made the search and rescue operation, now on 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,” Norazam told Bernama.
So far, a total of 135 rescuers have been deployed to 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 2.42am on Friday (December 16) at the campsite has so far seen 61 survivors, 24 dead and nine victims are still missing out of a total of 94 people.
He said 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
