Bertam Valley search and rescue operation halted

The search and rescue operation for the Indonesian victim who was missing in the Bertam Valley mudslide last Wednesday was officially halted about 2 pm today. Cameron Highlands Search and Rescue chief Yusry Abdullah Sani said the operation, which was into its fifth day, started at 8 am and was halted six hours later. "The authorities decided to finally halt the operations as it came to a dead-end. The victim has not been found despite enlisting K-9 tracker dogs and divers," he said when contacted by Bernama. However, security personnel would still be surveying and patrolling the disaster area on a small scale tomorrow, he added. The Bertam Valley, Ringlet mudslide occurred at 1 am last Wednesday when the Bertam River overflowed following the release of water from the Sultan Abu Bakar dam. The disaster claimed three lives and destroyed 80 dwellings and about 100m vehicles. One victim is still missing. Following the incident, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak announced a RM40 million allocation for the deepening and widening of the Bertam River in the Budget 2014 tabled on Friday.