Woman killed in Cameron Highlands planned to return home

An Indonesian woman, Kasmu Idwan, 43, was killed in a flash flood tragedy in Lembah Bertam, Ringlet here, Wednesday, dashing hopes of returning home with her husband to East Java, Surabaya, Indonesia soon.

The victim's husband Ragom Wasrip, 54, when met at Hospital Sultanah Hajjah Kalsom here, said he and his wife were supposed to go back to the village in three months time to visit relatives there.

Recounting the anxious moments during the 1am incident, Ragom said he and his wife were sleeping when the water rose swiftly and he was unable to save Kasmu.

"The water rose rapidly reaching the roof of the house and when I tried to save my wife, who could not swim, her hand slipped from my grip as the water hit us hard," said the man who has a 23-year-old son.

Ragom, a vegetable farmer, who has lived in the area for 25 years, said he heard the emergency siren only when the water was already spilling into his house.

A total of 54 people from 12 families are now housed at the Dewan Orang Ramai Ringlet and a search and rescue operation for an Indonesian woman reported missing will continue at 8am Thursday.

Another victim, Shaifa Jamil, 19, who is currently at Dewan Orang Ramai Ringlet here, said she was in the house with her mother when she heard the emergency siren twice and in less than two minutes water had entered the house and rose rapidly to chest level.

She said they were trapped in the house because the door could not be opened, but her father and brother who were outside at the time broke the window and freed them.

"Though we were unable to save any belongings, I am grateful to be safe together with my mother, father and brother," said the Form Six student of SM Sultan Ahmad Shah, Tanah Rata.

Around 80 homes and several vehicles were destroyed in the Bertam Valley area.

The disaster claimed three lives while one other person is still reported missing.