Day 3 search and rescue 'toughest yet', says Sabah Parks official
Monday's search and rescue operations are proving to be the toughest yet because of strong winds and heavy cloud cover, said a top park department official.
Malaysian authorities informed SIngapore government officials in Kota Kinabalu that the search for pupil Navdeep Singh Jaryal S/O Raj Kumar, and teacher Mohammad Ghazi Bin Mohamed is continuing.
But Dr Maklarin Lakim, the deputy director of Sabah Parks, said weather conditions have made it difficult for helicopters to land at Laban Rata, near the peak of Mount Kinabalu.
He said rescuers are using helicopters so they can spend more time on the mountain but strong winds are proving a challenge.
Dr Maklarin added that Sabah Parks has consulted with a geologist from the University of Malaysia (Sabah) on the geological situation of Mount Kinabalu.
"We were told there will be aftershocks for up to 21 days, and there may be further landslides, which we want to avoid. So it's better for search and rescue officers to use helicopters," he said.
He also emphasised adventure company Mountain Torq's safety record, calling their climbing facilities one of the safest.
On Saturday, Mountain Torq managing director Wilfred Tok said the company had been running the Via Ferrata operations for eight years and had no accidents before the June 5 earthquake.
Meanwhile, a Tanjong Katong Primary School student, who was hospitalised in Kota Kinabalu, returned to Singapore on Monday.
The Ministry Of Education said that he has been taken to a hospital here for further treatment.
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