Ampang landslide: bodies of third, fourth victims found, SAR operation ends - police

KUALA LUMPUR, March 11 -- The bodies of the third and fourth victims of the landslide at Taman Bukit Permai 2 in Ampang, here, were found early this morning.

Earlier yesterday, the body of an elderly woman was found at 9.15 pm and that of a man was discovered at about 11 pm while another man, who was injured, was rescued from the rubble. 

Ampang Jaya District Police chief ACP Mohamad Farouk Eshak said the two victims, whose bodies were found early today, were Malaysians and one of them was an employee of Syarikat Pengurusan Air Selangor Sdn Bhd.

He said the third body was found at 12.46 am while the fourth was found at 1.59 am, adding that the identities of all the dead victims have yet to be ascertained.

“As such, the search and rescue (SAR) operation ended early this morning,” he told a media conference at the site of the incident.

He said police would conduct a 24-hour security control of the area to ensure that the belongings of the affected residents are not looted and the houses are not broken into.

Mohamad Farouk urged residents whose homes are broken into to lodge a police report.

Meanwhile, Selangor Fire and Rescue Department director Norazam Khamis said they would use the K9 Unit tracker dogs at the site of the landslide to ensure there are no other victims involved.

“Clean-up work at the site will be carried out by the Ampang Jaya Municipal Council,” he said.

A Bernama survey of the area found a number of SAR team members from the police and Civil Defence Force beginning to disperse from the location following the discovery of all four bodies.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health was also seen packing up its special treatment tents following the end of the SAR operation by police at about 2 am.

-- BERNAMA