A body of a young girl believed to be around five to seven years old was discovered yesterday (Dec. 20) as a result of a landslide that occurred early Friday morning at the Father’s Organic Farm campsite on Jalan Genting-Batang Kali, which has now claimed 25 lives.
According to data gathered by the disaster operation centre, 29 of the 94 people who were at the campsite on the day of the tragedy were children. So far, 61 people made it out alive while eight are still missing.
Meanwhile, the “Sweeper” crew that has been working on the operation has been expanded from seven to 28.
The operation, which began on Tuesday at 8 a.m., was able to proceed without incident thanks to the favourable weather conditions that have prevailed since Monday and the absence of any local earth movements.
The rescue team also identified items such as blankets, containers, and camping gear at the riverbank of the camping ground.
According to Selangor Fire & Rescue Department deputy director Wan Md Razali Wan Md Ismail, three officers who had been injured or ill were treated at the site.
Although these officers were given permission to rest, they refused to leave the scene because they wanted to keep looking for the landslide victims.
The Selangor palace took notice of the team’s dedication and praised their efforts.
Arjunaidi Mohamed, the head of the Selangor police force, reported that 53 people, including the owner of the campsite, two employees, survivors, and victims’ families, had provided testimonies to police to aid in their inquiries.
On Saturday, PM Anwar Ibrahim announced that each family that has lost a family member in the Batang Kali campsite landslide tragedy will get RM10,000 (US$2,260), while families of survivors will receive RM1,000 each.
He made this announcement after visiting the scene of the tragedy and promised that the government would provide all necessary assistance.
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