SELANGOR, MALAYSIA — Various search and rescue methods, including tracker dogs from a K9 unit, ground-penetrating radars (GPR), and drones had been deployed by the Malaysia rescue team, in a bid to rescue the remaining nine missing victims of the Batang Kali landslide that took place three days ago.
Datuk Norazam Khamis, Director of Selangor Fire and Rescue Department, said the use of GPR was very helpful in narrowing down the search area in all sectors, Berita Harian reported.
The fire and rescue department found four new leads on the possibility of finding bodies under the rubble of the landslide.
“GPR detected 14 interest points today, and we started the digging after the machines marked the sites. It really helps to narrow down the search area. ”
However, rescuers had no luck in recovering anybody as of yesterday (18 December).
Norazam added some deceased victims were found buried in the ground between 0.9 and 1.5 meters deep, “we managed to dig out 11 bodies on the first day and three on the next day using the machines.”
“For the remaining bodies, we either saw their hands, legs or they were stuck between tree debris,” he said.
Rainy weather during the monsoon season could be a challenge for their search and rescue effort.
Norazam said the search team needed to remain alert, although no soil movement was detected at the SAR location so far.
24 confirmed dead, and nine still missing
Last Friday (16 December), a predawn landslide hit a campsite at an organic farm on Friday near the town of Batang Kali just outside the capital Kuala Lumpur.
A total of 94 people, most of them asleep, were trapped by the massive landslide when it hit.
The landslide fell from an estimated height of 30 meters above the campsite and covered an area of about 3 acres.
According to The National Disaster Management Agency(NADMA), as of 7.45 pm on 18 December, 61 people had been found safe or rescued, while 24 had lost their lives in this tragedy.
The 24 victims included seven children, four men and 13 women.
