SELANGOR, MALAYSIA — Selangor police chief, Datuk Arjunaidi Mohamed has clarified that the actual total number of victims is 92, instead of the 94 reported previously.
There was confusion about the total number of victims, and after several checks made, the actual number of victims was finally verified as 92 people, Arjunaidi told Astro Awani yesterday (22 Dec).
“We knew about it a few days ago, but we wanted to be sure. That’s always the case before making any official announcements.”
Arjunaidi added that the rescue team is still searching for the last victim, who is a boy.
“There is a police report lodged on the missing boy. The search will continue until the boy’s body is found,” he added.
The SAR was temporarily suspended yesterday at 8 pm due to bad weather and only resumed at 8 am this morning.
According to Sin Chew Daily, the name of the lone victim is 11-year-old Wong Saw Qi, a fifth grade student of SJK(C) Mun Choong primary school and the son of the deceased canteen operator Mr Wong Chu Wen.
Many netizens have since commented on Sin Chew’s Facebook post, praying that Wong can be found sooner and return home.
Ando Food Hunt wrote: “Today (22 December) is Dongzhi, wake up, my child, let those rescuer uncles take you home. ”
Wong Pooi Peng commented: “Hey kiddo, come out faster, everyone has gone home, just waiting for you, you have to work hard to let uncles(rescuers) see you.”
Leow Chee Wai wrote: “Little brother, please go home, follow the dogs and uncles return home, they are here to take you home.”
30 victims have been confirmed deceased in the landslide
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.
The National Disaster Management Agency (NADMA) has released the latest update on its Facebook post, To date, a total of 30 victims have been confirmed to have lost their lives in the landslide.
They are 14 adult females, six males, six boys and four girls.
A total of 92 people, most of them asleep, were trapped by the massive landslide when it hit, 61 people were found safe or rescued.
The landslide fell from an estimated height of 30 meters above the campsite and covered an area of about 3 acres.
