CAMERON HIGHLANDS: The search and rescue operation to locate three more victims who were buried under the landslide at Batu 59, Kampung Raja here continues today using an alternative route.
Pahang Fire and Rescue Department deputy director Md Gezani Md Ghazi said that the new route had to be created through a vegetable farm as it would enable the heavy machinery to enter the scene.
Md Gezani said that for that purpose, they had also received a green light from the police.
"We are trying to get heavy machinery, especially chain machinery, to enter by creating a new route and we have to hit the vegetable farm. But so far, heavy machinery has not entered the area yet.
"So far our search method is manual which is to use a lot of hoes and shovels. We have also received permission from the police for 'clearance' from the farm owner (to create new route)," he said in a press conference near the scene today.
He also said that the operation resumed this morning since it was postponed at 7pm yesterday, involving 86 personnel and officers of various agencies, apart from the services of two K9 dogs named Frankey and Pop.
When asked if the special detection device Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) would be used to locate the remaining three victims, Md Gezani said so far there is no need for that.
"The difficulty faced by the rescuers is more due to the moist and soft surface of the ground, but there is no subsequent ground movement detected by the Department of Minerals and Geosciences which also involved the slope at the location of the incident," he said.
In the incident at 2.40am yesterday, five Myanmar nationals, including a woman, were feared buried after two houses occupied by the victims were buried in the landslide.
So far, two bodies have been located and retrieved from the landslide area.