Batang Kali landslide: Search ops for nine victims continuing into the night

HULU SELANGOR: Search operations at the Batang Kali landslide site are closing in on the 48-hour mark, but there is no respite in the search for the remaining victims.

At the operations centre located about 1km away from ground zero, search and rescue personnel decked in full gear were seen entering and exiting the site leading to ground zero throughout the day.

Five excavators were also seen heading towards the landslide site with the most recent entering at about 7pm Saturday (Dec 17) in efforts to speed up search operations.

Makeshift tents set up at the operations centre since Friday (Dec 16) continued to provide exhausted rescue personnel with a place to lay their heads after fulfilling their duties.

The prolonged rains on Friday saw search operations being hampered temporarily as a safety precaution.

As the sun set on ground zero on Saturday, floodlights lit up the operations centre, bringing light to the scene of a dark tragedy.

Telco and network operators too had their Cell on Wheels (COW) trucks fully set up, bringing full Internet connectivity which allowed media personnel to promptly report happenings at the site instead of having to scour around to look for reception.

Despite the positive logistic and geographic developments here today, there are still nine victims yet to be found, with operations continuing into the night.