‘Victims yet to be identified’

SUNGAI BULOH: The identities of victims whose remains were sent to Hospital Sungai Buloh have yet to be identified, says the Health Minister.

Dr Zaliha Mustafa said the authorities had not yet been able to determine the identities of the 11 bodies at the hospital as at 1.15pm yesterday.

Latest developments: Dr Zaliha addressing reporters during a press conference at Hospital Sungai Buloh.

“We expect more (remains) to be sent over from the scene of the incident.

“We have to follow the SOP (standard operating procedure). We have not done a Covid-19 test (on the deceased), we are all still waiting,” she told a press conference at the hospital yesterday.

She also said it could not be confirmed yet when the post-mortems would be completed.

In a statement, Hospital Sungai Buloh said its forensic department had received the remains of 11 victims as at 1.15pm, while the remains of five more victims were being transported from the landslide scene.

It said the forensic medical team had formed teams consisting of medical officers, assistant medical officers and healthcare assistants to conduct the post-mortems with the help of staffers from the forensic department of Al-Sultan Abdullah Hospital UiTM Puncak Alam and other hospitals around the Klang Valley, including the University Malaya Medical Centre.

Here to help: Special Malaysia Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team personnel arriving at the site of the landslide in Batang Kali.

“The forensic medical team is currently collecting ante-mortem information from the next of kin who are currently at the hospital premises.

“The ante-mortem information will help speed up the process of identification and the handover of the body to the next of kin after the autopsies are completed,” added the hospital.

In the predawn landslide that struck a campsite in Batang Kali yesterday, at least 21 campers lost their lives and 12 others were still missing.

There were an estimated 94 visitors camping at the premises.