KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 17 — The Ministry of Housing and Local Government (KPKT) today stressed that the Fire and Rescue Department’s (JBPM) water search and rescue mission for a teenager who fell to a mining pool in Taman Putra Perdana, Puchong recently was carried out according to the standard operating procedure.

Its minister, Zuraida Kamaruddin in a statement today said, however, that following the tragedy, there was an urgent need to review the existing SOP.

Six members of JBPM’s Water Rescue Unit were caught in a whirlwind during the operation on Oct 3.

"As stated yesterday in Parliament, the KPKT has set up a committee to investigate, find the cause, make recommendations to improve the existing SOP to ensure such a tragedy does not occur again.

"This includes identifying techniques that are more appropriate to launch rescue operations in various situations, and reduce the risks faced by firemen,” said Zuraida.

She was responding to a local news report which claimed there was no SOP followed for the search and rescue operation in Puchong. — Bernama