KUALA LUMPUR: The bodies of two men who were buried alive by a landslide at the foot of Gunung Jerai in Kedah have been recovered.
The deceased, Roslan Saidin 52, and Mohd Noor Shaari, 68 were said to be digging for gold at the mountain's slope, next to a construction site when the soil suddenly became loose, burying them alive.
A search and rescue operation was immediately launched to locate them but due to the depth of the landslide and soil, rescuers needed excavators to carry out the operation.
Kedah Fire and Rescue Department director senior assistant commissioner Sayani Saidon said at first light, two excavators, 40 firefighters including 12 members from the Special Tactical, Operations and Rescue (STORM) and eight K9 units started work.
"Roslan's remains was discovered at almost 11am.
"Around 1.10pm, the rescuers managed to pull out the second victim," she said when contacted today.
Sayani said the bodies have been sent to Hospital Sultanah Bahiyah in Alor Star.
It was reported that the two men were digging near a construction site when the landslide occured at around 6pm.
A team of rescuers from the Guar Chempedak Fire and Rescue station rushed to the scene but due to severity of landslide and poor lighting, the SAR operations could only continue this morning.