Search for missing Indonesian woman continues into 5th day

The search and rescue operation for an Indonesian woman believed to have been swept away by strong currents in the flash mud flood in Bertam Valley, here continued into its fifth day today. Cameron Highlands OCPD DSP Wan Mohd Zahari Wan Busu said the operation continued with 69 officers and members of the security forces divided into three teams. The operation, which began at 8am, was halted to focus the search in a number of areas that had been identified. However, he said today they did not use K-9 tracker dogs and scuba divers from the Fire and Rescue Department. The search was carried out manually by using heavy machinery. "The operation, carried out on such a large scale, will end at 2pm and will be called off completely today. However, small-scale search operations such as daily patrols will continue as normal tomorrow," he told reporters here, today. About 1am on Wednesday, a flash mud flood was caused in Lembah Bertam by the release of water from the Sultan Abu Bakar Dam which resulted in the death of three people, while one was reported missing and another injured with 80 houses and about 100 vehicles damaged or destroyed. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, when tabling Budget 2014 last Friday, had announced an allocation of RM40 million to widen and deepen Sungai Bertam.