KOTA BHARU, May 21 - Two men were buried alive when an earth embankment collapsed near a stream in the Jerimbong oil palm plantation in Jeli yesterday.
Jeli Fire and Rescue Station operations commander Izuan Che Ibrahim said the victims, aged 32 and 38, were found buried under a two-metre-high pile of soil.
“We received an emergency call at 8.20 pm. The body of the first victim was recovered at 9.25 pm, while the second was recovered at 11.18 pm,” he said in a statement today.
Meanwhile, Jeli Police chief Supt Kamarulzaman Harun said they received information on the incident involving two men who were buried under soil while carrying out gold mining activities in the Kampung Jerimbong, Kuala Balah oil palm plantation area in Jeli at 6.30 pm.
“Police, assisted by the Jeli Fire and Rescue Department, mounted a two-hour operation to retrieve the bodies.
“Preliminary investigations found that the victims were engaged in gold mining activities at the site without a licence,” he said in a statement.
He added that the bodies were sent to the Forensic Unit of Jeli Hospital for post-mortem and the case has been classified as sudden death.