Skeletal remains, clothes found at quarry rockfall site

IPOH: Human skeletal remains, clothes and the wreckage of an excavator were found today at the location where two quarry workers were feared buried in an incident last March at Keramat Pulai, Jalan Simpang Pulai-Cameron Highlands here.

Perak Fire and Rescue Department director Azmi Osman said the wreckage was found by a search and rescue team that also involved the Department of Minerals and Geosciences at 11.45 am today, while the skeletal remains and clothes were found about half an hour later.

"We have yet to determine to whom they belong," he said when contacted today.

In the March 8 incident, two quarry workers who were believed to have been trapped under rock debris were identified as Itam Lasoh, 43, and Kheow Loo Siew Soon, 49.

In April, former Perak Police Chief, Datuk Mior Faridalathrash Wahid said the investigation into the case was classified as sudden death (SDR) even though the two victims had not yet been found.

A check by Bernama at the scene of the incident found that the search efforts were still ongoing.

Meanwhile, Perak Police chief Datuk Mohd Yusri Hassan Basri said the human skeletal remains found earlier today had been sent to the Forensics Department of the Raja Permaisuri Bainun Hospital here for post-mortem.

He said a DNA test would also be conducted to identify the identity of the victim.

Mohd Yusri said the search and rescue operation is being led by Ipoh Police chief ACP Yahaya Hassan, with the cooperation of the Perak Fire and Rescue Department, as well as the Minerals and Geosciences Department.

-- BERNAMA