Police will be calling up more individuals to help with the investigations into Friday's landslide tragedy at the Fathers' Organic Farm campsite, Gohtong Jaya in Batang Kali, Selangor, including survivors.
Hulu Selangor District Police chief Suffian Abdullah told a press conference today this may be done in "a week or two” considering the condition and trauma experienced by the survivors, who are mostly from Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan Cina (SJKC) Mun Choong.
On Saturday, the police summoned three individuals, namely the operator of the campsite and two of the farm’s employees to assist in the investigations.
In the incident at about 2.42am on Friday, a landslide measuring nearly 300m long and 70m high hit the campsite located along Jalan Genting-Batang Kali.
As of noon today, nine victims are still missing, while the death toll stands at 24. Sixy-one people have been rescued. A total of 94 people were reported to have been at the campsite at the time of the landslide.
Suffian said the case is being investigated under Section 7 of the Local Government Act 1976 and Section 304 (A) and Section 290 of the Penal Code.
The police had also identified five of the seven vehicles caught in the landslide. Two of the owners were dead, two safe while the other is still missing, he added.
Suffian said that the 24 bodies recovered from the scene had been handed over to their next of kin and families yesterday.
He also urged family members or acquaintances of those still missing to go to a police station to lodge a report.
Suffian advised parties not to spread videos or pictures that could upset the victims of the incident because it could lead to violations of the law either under the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 or the Penal Code.
Search for the missing continues
Meanwhile, Fire and Rescue Department personnel involved in the search operation remained highly motivated.
Its director-general Mohammad Hamdan Wahid said all of them were still in good spirits in their efforts to locate the nine still missing.
“They remain focused on carrying out their task. They are working tirelessly and are highly dedicated (to the task),” he told Bernama.
Selangor Fire and Rescue Department director Norazam Khamis said that, so far, the search and rescue operation involved a total of 130 officers and personnel who were deployed on a rotational basis.
Earlier, six dogs from the K9 dog detection unit were brought to the search area at 8.30am, as the operation for the landslide victims entered its fourth day.
The operation was suspended at about 9.30pm yesterday due to unfavourable weather conditions.
- Bernama
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