The number of bodies found on the second day of the search and rescue operation (SAR) for victims of the water surge in Jeram Air Putih today is four and not seven as informed earlier.
Terengganu police chief Datuk Mazli Mazlan said the confusion was due to a communication snag between the search location with the operation control centre at Air Putih police station here.
“So as of today, we have found six bodies and they have been confirmed by victims’ kin or families. Yesterday, we found two and today we found four, the remaining four victims are still missing.
“The search team at the location is facing communication problem because communication devices are not functioning properly due to the thick forest and undulating terrain,” he told a media conference this evening.
He said the operation was halted at 5pm as there are indications of heavy rain in upper reach of the forest.
Mazli said the SAR operation will resume tomorrow to find the remaining four victims who are still missing.
The four bodies found today were Karim Abdullah, 39, Putri Aryana Umaira Karim, 4, Muhammad Haziq Ziqree Karim, 6, and Putri Nurerina Natasya Karim, 10.
All the bodies were taken to the Sultanah Nur Zahirah Hospital (HSNZ) in Kuala Terengganu for post-mortem, including the bodies of Azizah Eiyi, 40, and Muhammad Zulqarnain Haikal Karim, 11, who were found by the public yesterday.
With the discovery and confirmation of the identity of the six bodies, SAR operation will focus on the bodies of
The remaining victims to be found are Putri Balqis Izzati Abdul Rahman, 18, Putri Alleya Maisarah Karim, 16, Putri Nor Fatin Karim, 14, and Muhammad Fikri Saliman, 24.
Yesterday, the media reported 10 victims with nine of them from the same family perished in the incident.