CAMERON HIGHLANDS, Nov 8 — Two more bodies were recovered following Wednesday’s mud flood and landslide in the Cameron Highlands, raising the number of deaths to five.
The bodies of two Indonesian nationals, a man and a woman, were found buried near a landslide in Bertam Valley at 11.05am yesterday, said Cameron Highlands police chief DSP Wan Zahari Wan Busu.
He said the dead, identified as Suwalis, 40, and Yunita, 41, were workers at a vegetable farm in Sungai Kabok.
The bodies were found buried in the debris and covered in blankets.
“Police believe the victims were asleep and did not realise there was a landslide,” he said.
“The bodies were sent to Sultanah Hajah Kalsom Hospital in Tanah Rata for post mortem.”
The search and rescue operation was terminated at noon yesterday after police confirmed no one else was buried in the landslide.
“However, the disaster operations control centre in Bertam Valley will remain open to monitor the weather and the release of water (from the Sultan Abu Bakar Dam),” he said.
The incident on Wednesday claimed the lives of student R. Tunesh, 13, as well as vegetable farm workers Anipan, 48, from Indonesia and Md Yousuf Miya, 66, from Nepal.
Tunesh drowned in the Sungai Terlom in Kampung Raja. Anipan was found under landslide debris in the Bertam Valley while Md Yousuf was found under landslide debris in Jalan Ulu Merah, Ringlet.
203 people from 47 families in Kampung Baru and Bertam Valley had to be evacuated to the Ringlet Community Hall.
