26th Batang Kali Victim Was Found By Chance When SAR Team Were Digging To Bury A Dog
The man, identified as 67-year-old Huang Cai De, was hugging one dog tightly, with another dog beside him. In total, he had three dogs, with the third one yet to be found.
By Sadho Ram — 22 Dec 2022, 12:28 PM
At about 11.19am yesterday, 21 December, the search and rescue (SAR) team found the body of the 26th victim of the Batang Kali landslide
The victim was found hugging a dog 4m underground in Sector B of the search area.
The man, identified as 67-year-old Huang Cai De, was hugging one dog tightly, with another dog beside him. In total, he had three dogs, with the third one yet to be found, according to authorities.
The landslide occurred in the early morning of 16 December. There were a total of 94 people who were buried under the mud. While 61 have been rescued, seven victims are still missing.
The discovery of the 26th victim, however, was a pure coincidence
The SAR team on the scene was actually looking to bury the carcass of a dog that had begun to smell.
According to Selangor Fire and Rescue Department's Syahmi Wafiq, they were using the excavator to dig up a hole for the dog and after digging for a while, they saw a leg sticking out from the ground.
"That was when I realised that it was one of the victims," said the 24-year-old.
New Straits Times quoted Syahmi as saying that the dog that they wanted to bury was discovered near the body, adding, "The victim was seen hugging another dog".
Syahmi, who has been recovering the remains of victims at the campsite since the beginning of the operation, said it was spine-chilling
The youngest of three siblings stated that he gets goosebumps every time they make a discovery.
"But when I put on my uniform, I have this motivation and a sense of responsibility to carry out my duty. I joined Bomba four years ago and have participated in a lot of rescue missions, especially during flood season. There is also support from everyone nationwide," he was quoted as saying by the paper.
