KUCHING, July 12 — The Sarawak Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM) today launched the Mountain Cave Search and Rescue (Moscar) team to enhance its readiness to face emergency situations at the Mulu National Park here.

Sarawak JBPM director Khirudin Drahman @Hussaini said the incidents which befell a Dutch tourist and a local tour guide who were found drowned at the park’s Deer Cave in 2019 and the forest fires in Batu Bungan last year had sent signals to the department to establish such team.

"The idea to establish the team was initiated in 2017 after conducting a one-week rescue training series at the park, which also involved the Special Tactical Operation and Rescue Team of Malaysia (STORM),” he said in a statement here today.

Khirudin said 11 people have been appointed as the Moscar team members and they will be led by Mulu National Park manager, Hein Getsner.

The Mocsar team will be responsible for extinguishing structural and forest fires as well as carrying out search and rescue operations in mountains and caves, he added. — Bernama