Bodies of five mud flood victims in Kinabatangan found

Five bodies believed to be victims who were missing after being swept away by a mud flood in a landslide at Sen Fu Oil Palm Estate in Tongod, Kinabatangan on Saturday were found in separate locations in Sungai Pinangah, Tongod.

The Sabah Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM) operations centre said the bodies were found in a search and rescue ( SAR) mission which adjourned at 6pm yesterday.

The statement said two bodies were found Monday by the villagers in the river nearby Kampung Masaum, while three others were found yesterday by the SAR team - two in the river near Kampung Pasik, and amother near Kampung Mangkuwagu.

“All the bodies were taken to the jetty in Kampung Pinangah by boat today ( yesterday), and handed over to the police.

“Three more victims have yet to be found following the information obtained today (yesterday) from the SAR team on the scene at the Sen Fu farm and Pinangah that there were eight victims missing in the incident,” added the statement.

The operation which entered its fourth day involved 17 Special Tactical Operation Rescue Malaysia (Storm) personnel, eight members of the Multi- Skill Team ( MUST), 10 from the Sandakan Zone Water Rescue Team ( PPDA) and five firemen from the Keningau Fire and Rescue Station.

Members of the Civil Defence Forces (APM) and the police were also involved.

The Sandakan PPDA was focusing on searching for the three victims in two different locations, while the SAR operation in the Sungai Labou area focused on searching for the other victims under piles of logs, boulders and mud at the scene of the incident.

In the April 1 incident, the mud flood caused by a landslide swept away three houses of estate workers in which eight of the occupants went missing.

Kinabatangan police chief Supt A Sahak Rahmat said the bodies of five victims were sent to Hospital Duchess of Kent, Sandakan for identification and autopsy.

He said the bodies of three females found were identified as Anna, 16, Titiwana, 12, and Alisan, eight.

The other two were males, identified as Sabri, 10, and Azlil, six. Sahak said the SAR operation would resume today. — Bernama