19 hikers rescued after four-hour ordeal at Lata Debu

 

BALING: Firefighters rescued 19 people who were trapped following a flash flood at Lata Debu today.

District fire and rescue station chief Zulkhairi Mat Tanjil said his team received a distress call at 4.11pm.

Zulkhairi, who led the operation with eight firefighters, said they had to trek 2km to reach the location.

"Upon arrival, we found 19 people, comprising nine women and 10 men aged between 20 and 25, who were believed to have been trapped by a flash flood.

"They were believed to have been making their way down when they became trapped following the flash flood and strong currents," he said when contacted today.

He said a river-crossing method using ropes was employed to rescue the victims one by one.

He said all the victims were rescued safely, with the operation taking almost four hours due to slippery rocks and strong river currents.

"Heavy rain that fell in the district for almost two hours today caused the flash flood.

"All 19 people began their hike at Lata Debu at 8am and became trapped by the flash flood while making their way down," he said.

He said all of them were safe and did not suffer any injuries.

He said the group was believed to be from outside the area and had come to hike there.

He said this was the second operation involving an incident at Lata Debu this month, with the first taking place last Sunday when one person fainted and two other hikers went missing.

"Lata Debu has beautiful scenery, so many people are interested in coming here.

"The operation ended at 8.10pm and all of them were handed over to the police," he said. - NST