[UPDATED] Soft ground, mud hamper search efforts in Batang Kali

KUALA LUMPUR – Rescuers in Batang Kali are faced with soft ground and muddy conditions as the search-and-rescue operation for landslide victims enters day four.

Selangor Fire and Rescue Department director Datuk Norazam Khamis said the operation is also hampered by a 16m-high slope but the ground-penetrating radar has helped to narrow the search area.

He added that the search-and-rescue efforts today include eight excavators, six K9 unit tracker dogs, and personnel from the police force, Fire Department, and the army.

In a press conference this morning, Hulu Selangor police chief Suffian Abdullah said the authorities will meet with SJK (C) Mun Choong’s management as more than 20 teachers were victims of the landslide.

Police have taken statements from three people and will set up an appointment with the school management.

“Police will take one to two weeks to take statements.”

The incident is being investigated under Sections 290 and 304(A) of the Penal Code and Section 7 of the Local Government Act 1976.

Meanwhile, police said the remains of the 24 victims have been claimed by their respective families.

The authorities have also identified the owners of five of the seven vehicles found in the landslide.

The search resumed at 8am today and focused on Sectors A and C as well as surrounding areas that have yet to be excavated.

It remains a challenging day for search-and-rescue personnel as they gathered for a briefing this morning amid bad weather conditions.

Yesterday, the operation was suspended due to rain, said Hulu Selangor police chief Suffian.

So far, the death toll stands at 24. Some 61 people were rescued, while nine are still missing. 

In the landslide at 2.42am on Friday, a section of a slope measuring 300m long and 70m high came crashing down onto the Father’s Organic Farm campsite in Batang Kali. – The Vibes, December 19, 2022