Three dead, nine feared buried alive in landslide
GEORGE TOWN: Three people died, one person was injured and at least nine others are believed to have been buried alive in a landslide at Jalan Bukit Kukus in Paya Terubong near here yesterday.
Three bodies were found by 5.30 pm following the incident at about 1 pm when the landslide at the construction site of the paired road buried four containers at the foothill apparently used as the living quarters of the construction workers.
The injured person was sent to the Penang Hospital.
More than 100 personnel from the police force, fire and rescue service and Civil Defence Force are involved in the search-and-rescue operation.
Jalan Bukit Kukus links Paya Terubong to Bandar Baru Air Itam. The hill road passes through housing areas.
Last Thursday, 14 concrete beams 25 metres long collapsed at a hillslope at the project site in Jalan Bukit Kukus.
Fortunately, no one was injured, and there was no damage to public property.
Jalan Perak Fire and Rescue Department Zone 1 chief Mohd Tarmizi Md Jaafar said the department was alerted to the landslide at 1.57 pm.
“We were informed initially that 10 people were trapped in the rubble,” he said.
He said the number of people trapped in the rubble could not be ascertained, and that the number could be more than 10.
Mohd Tarmizi said it was not raining when the incident happened but water was flowing downhill in the area as a result of heavy rain on Thursday evening.
He said they will study the situation and determine whether to summon assistance from the special team in Putrajaya.
Meanwhile, an Indonesian worker who identified himself as Muhyiddin, 39, said his uncle and aunt, in their 40s, are trapped in the landslide.
Muhyiddin, who hails from Sulawesi, said his uncle and aunt and two other relatives lived in the containers.
The Penang City Council, in a statement, said it regretted the incident.
“An in-depth investigation and further action will be taken,” it said. - Bernama