Two children among 35 trapped on Bukit Bendera due to landslide
GEORGE TOWN: Thirtyfive individuals including two children who are residents and workers on Bukit Bendera have been trapped in the area since Saturday.
North- east District Police Chief, ACP Anuar Omar said all of them could not come down because the railway track as well as the track for vehicles had been closed following a landslide in the area.
“They were trapped since Saturday after a heavy rainfall and strong wind that occurred to the extent that landslides occurred in several areas on Bukit Bendera,” he said here yesterday.
He said a rescue team comprising personnel from the Malaysian Fire and Rescue Department ( JBPM) Penang, Malaysian Civil Defence Force (APM), Malaysian Armed Forces (ATM) and the Royal Malaysia Police ( PDRM) assisted by the Bukit Bendera Corporation was attempting to bring the victims down.
“We are trying to bring them down via the hiking track as the vehicle access could not be used due to the landslide and the ATM was also monitoring the track from the air using a helicopter,” he said.
Anuar said the ATM would assist to bring down all the victims using the helicopter if the walking mission failed.
“We are always communicating with the victims on Bukit Bendera and at the moment, they are in fine condition and food supplies were still adequate. We hope to be able to bring down the victims today ( yesterday),” he said.
He said the rescue operation began at 10 am and it was learnt that it would take at least three hours for the rescue team to walk up to the top of Bukit Bendera.
Almost all areas in Penang were affected by the floods with several areas under between 0.2 and one metre of water, followed by strong winds and heavy rainfall since Saturday which had also uprooted scores of trees.
To date, the flood which was said to be the worst in the state had killed seven people. — Bernama