Tanjung Bungah landslide: Victim's desire to see children unfulfilled

Rescue workers are seen at a construction site after it was hit by a landslide in Tanjung Bungah.

GEORGE TOWN: A victim of Saturday's landslide in Tanjung Bungah had expressed his wish to return to his village in Indonesia to see his two children.

Anisah Muddakir, 30, a niece of Erwin Salis, one of 11 victims of the tragedy, said Erwin last met his children two years ago.

"Mamang (Erwin Salis) missed his two children very much and had expressed his intention to return to his village later this year to see them," Anisah said.

“Mamang had been working in Malaysia since six years ago and only went back to his village in Surabaya, Indonesia, once to see his son and daughter, who are now 12 and seven years old,” she told Bernama at the location of the landslide here.

Anisah said she was thankful that her uncle's remains had been recovered.

She described her uncle as a helpful person and was not stingy with his smile.

"Our family will miss Mamang's jokes and smiles,” she said.

The body of Ervin Salis, 33, was found at 2.45am Sunday and then sent to Penang Hospital.

Erwin was among the construction workers who were buried in the landslide.

So far, sevent bodies have been found and the search and rescue operation is ongoing for five other victims. - Bernama