Selangor Fire Dept chief hospitalised for exhaustion, minor stroke

 

Selangor Fire and Rescue Department director Norazam Khamis, who has been overseeing search and rescue operations at the scene of the Batang Kali landslide, has been hospitalised.

The department said Norazam (above) was brought to Selayang Hospital at 6pm due to exhaustion and a minor stroke.

“His condition is stable and he is conscious. The operation to search for the victims will go on.

“Let us all pray for his recovery,” the department said in a statement today.

The landslide on Friday struck a campsite at Fathers' Organic Farm campsite, Gohtong Jaya in Batang Kali.

Rescue workers are still searching for nine victims who are still unaccounted for.

So far, 61 people have been rescued. However, another 24 people died, making it the third deadliest landslide recorded in Malaysia.

Earlier today, Norazam was quoted saying that 130 officers and personnel have been deployed on a rotational basis to participate in the search, which is now in its fourth day.

He was not the first to suffer from exhaustion during the search.

It was reported a search dog named Blake “keeled over exhausted” after slogging for two days. Norazam had said the English springer spaniel is recuperating. - Mkini