Rockslide: Body of quarry worker successfully retrieved

IPOH - The body of a quarry worker who was buried under a rockslide at a quarry site in Keramat Pulai, Simpang Pulai here today was successfully retrieved at 2.36pm, Perak Fire and Rescue Department director Sayani Saidon said.

He said that the department had received a call at 10.56am about the rockslide and arrived at the scene to discover that they were unable to rescue Pakistani, Sohail Sajjad, 36, as the area was unsafe due to the occurrence of minor rockslides at that time.

"The team found the victim under the excavator with rubble on top of it, so we sought the assistance of the quarry company to use another excavator to remove the rocks.

"Although we managed to remove the rocks, we had to stop the recovery process due to unstable conditions, but managed to do so after smashing and removing the boulders that had pinned his arm under the excavator,” he said at a media conference here today.

The victim’s body was taken by a police truck to the Raja Permaisuri Bainun Hospital for further action, he said.

Sayani also mentioned that the victim, with two of his Pakistani colleagues were using the excavator to move rocks at the location when minor rockslides occurred.

"There were minor rockslides and they were instructed to leave the area, but the victim turned back, stating that he left his belongings behind.

"It would seem that the rockslide struck when he was retrieving his belongings and he hid under the machine and was buried under the debris,” he added. - BERNAMA