As night wears on, Zahid exhorts rescue team to continue search

BATANG KALI – Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has asked the rescue team involved in finding the remaining victims of the landslide off the mountainous Batang Kali-Gohtong Jaya road here to do everything possible and to continue searching for those not yet found.

“All agencies are continuing in any possible way with their (operations), with new technological methods and heavy machinery,” he said.

“At the same time, we are also using the services of detection dogs to locate buried bodies,” he added during a visit to the disaster area, where the fatal landslide occurred in the pre-dawn hours today at campsites in a gorge below the road.

He said that as the chairman of the National Disaster Committee, he will continue to monitor the situation together with the heads of relevant agencies who are supervising the current developments at the location of the incident, and they are to inform him from time to time.

Zahid added that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim will go down to inspect the situation at the scene of the incident later tonight.

He also said that a total of 21 victims have been confirmed dead as of 7pm tonight.

The rescue team is still working to find the 12 other missing victims.

“I was informed earlier that the total number of victims is 94 people, including 21 people who died and 12 people who are still missing.

“So the work is to find the 12 victims who have not been found. We pray that there are survivors,” he said after inspecting the scene of the incident this evening.

Zahid said he was also informed that there were two underground water streams at the location of the incident.

“This is a preliminary finding from an investigation by JKR (Public Works Department) and the Land and Mines Department,” he said.

Therefore, he requested on behalf of the government that any camping sites on hills and riversides be temporarily vacated.

“Although it may be safe now, according to the Malaysian Meteorological Department, heavy rain will start tomorrow, especially in the east coast areas.

“So it is feared that heavy rain at the bend of a river will cause a waterhead to hit the middle or the banks of a river.

“Learn from what happened here,” he said, hoping that parents, school teachers, and students who want to go on vacation will exercise caution. – The Vibes, December 16, 2022