Ninth landslide victim’s body found near last container

GEORGE TOWN: The body of the ninth victim in the landslide in Jalan Bukit Kukus, Paya Terubong here was found buried under five metres of earth, says Penang Fire and Rescue Department deputy director Mohamad Shoki Hamzah.

He said the body of Mohamad Uzzal, 33, a Bangladeshi man was found near the last container at 5pm.

“Mohamad Uzzal who was earlier identified was Ujal, was one of two victims feared missing. His colleagues at the location identified and confirmed it was Uzzal,” he said when contacted here yesterday.

He said the department believed the last victim, Md Rahaz who was earlier identified as Rahat was still in the area near where the body of Uzzal wad found.

The rescue team is digging as deep as five metres to find other victims.

“The last container found was badly crushed and we did not rule out the possibility of finding several more bodies in the area around the container,” he said.

Mohamad Shoki said the fair weather condition yesterday enabled the SAR team to continue until all works to clear up sector three were completed.

As at 7pm, nine bodies have been found, they comprised three Indonesian men, five Bangladeshi men and a Myanmar woman while another Bangladeshi man is still reported missing in the earth avalanche.