Materia Medica Malaysiana

Round The Clock Search And Rescue Operations For Tsunami Victims

PENANG, Dec 27 (Bernama) -- Search and rescue operations for victims of the tidal waves (tsunami) which hit Penang, Kedah and Perlis Sunday afternoon is continuing until Monday.
State Deputy Police Chief SAC II Mohd Ali Mohd Yusuf said police and emergency aid units were carrying out 24-hour operations with about 200 members of search and rescue teams being deployed at two locations namely Batu Feringghi and Balik Pulau.
So far police have recovered 31 bodies at the two locations but have yet to locate two children who were reported missing.
The two missing children are siblings Nurul Nazirah Mohd Hassan, 13 and Mohamad Ferdaus Mohd Hassan, from Guar Chempedak Kedah, who were reported missing in Batu Feringghi.
"A troop from the Federal Reserve Unit (FRU) with 120 ordinary policemen have been stationed at Batu Feringghi while 10 officers and 80 lower rank policemen are being assigned to Balik Pulau," he said when contacted by Bernama here.
Mohd Ali said leave for all police personnel in the North East and South West districts had been frozen to assist in the rescue operations.
He said hundreds of residents living in the coastal areas in the two districts had also moved out of their homes temporarily.
Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Abdul Rashid Abdullah said the state government had given out immediate aid to the victims of the tragedy.
"We will disburse the allocation from the 'Tabung Yang Dipertua Negeri' from Monday after the Social Welfare Department had carried out a survey on the families requiring aid," he said.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, who is also Chairman of the National Disaster Management and Relief Committee, is scheduled to visit the sites of the tragedy in Penang and Kedah Monday morning.
He will also be given a briefing at the State Operations Room.
Meanwhile, the five victims reported missing in Kuala Muda, Kedah have yet to be found and search and rescue operations are still ongoing.
Kedah Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Syed Razak Syed Zain, when visiting the 24 victims admitted to Hospital Sungai Petani Sunday night, said the state government would give out aid to the tidal wave victims.