Batang Kali landslide: Body of 24th victim found

• So far, seven children are confirmed to have died in the landslide tragedy.

BATANG KALI (Dec 17): The body of a girl has been found at the landslide site of the Father’s Organic Farm campsite, taking the death toll to 24.

Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Acryl Sani Abdullah Sani said the body of the girl, whose age has yet to be determined, was found in the Hillview search area (Sector A) at 4.05pm.

“The body will be sent to the Sungai Buloh Hospital for a post-mortem,” he told reporters after visiting the site.

So far, seven children are confirmed to have died in the landslide tragedy.

“As stated previously, once all the victims have been found, investigations will proceed immediately. However, this doesn’t mean there is no investigation going on right now.

“I have instructed Selangor Criminal Investigation Department chief SAC Baharudin Mat Taib to head the probe into the landslide,” he said.

A Bernama survey of the landslide area found the weather to be cloudy.

Meanwhile, Acryl Sani said police would ensure media practitioners continue to get the latest information regarding the search and rescue (SAR) operations at the site.

In giving the assurance, he instructed the on-scene command post (PKTK) to continue to provide sufficient information to the media, which has the role of disseminating news on the latest developments at the location to the public.

“Because the media is the link with the community outside, I hope PKTK personnel will constantly give updates on the search operations," he said.

The landslide, which occurred at 2.42am on Friday (Dec 16), resulted in a section of a ravine measuring almost 300m long and 70m high crashing onto the campsite.

As of 4.05pm on Saturday, 61 out of the 94 victims have been found, 24 have been confirmed dead and nine more are still missing.

Meanwhile, the telecommunication network at the PKTK, which has become the focal point of the media to obtain the latest development, has improved after Communications and Digital Minister Fahmi Fadzil brought the matter up on Friday.

In his observation, Fahmi said that as an early measure to overcome the problem, Telekom Malaysia (TM) and telecommunications companies have been instructed to send their Mobile Coverage Vehicles to allow the implementation of Coverage on Wheels at the location.