IPOH: Reliving the horror and sorrow of the massive 1996 Pos Dipang Orang Asli mudslide in Kampar, search and rescue personnel, and a villager recounted the heart-wrenching tragedy.
The tragedy that occurred 27 years ago, swept away about 30 houses, killing 39 people, and five victims that have yet to be found.
The event was organised on Thursday (Sept 14) by the Perak National Archives Department, and it was launched by the state human resources, health, Indian community affairs and national integration committee chairman A. Sivanesan.
The three speakers who narrated the event were the Simpang Pulai Fire and Rescue Department station chief Shaharudin Tuan Ali, Malaysian Civil Defence Force Capt Jasri Mohd Yusof, and Orang Asli villager Jali Lesen.
Jali, 68, said during the time of the incident, he was working with Propel, and at about 4pm on the day of the tragedy, he had this uneasy feeling that something bad was going to happen.
He was only in his late 30s at the time of the incident.
"While I was just having those thoughts, I witnessed an accident right in front of my eyes, and later on my way back to the village, I saw the river was swollen, with all sorts of items, including gas cylinders floating.
"My heart started to beat so fast thinking about my wife, children and other family members.
"I kept asking those I met on the way if they had seen my family, some said they had gone higher up into the jungle, while some said they saw them coming downstream.
"I went into the forest, calling their names, but could not find them, the situation was chaotic," he said, adding that later his family was found safe.
Shaharudin, 56, said he was attached to the Tapah station when he received a call from the Kampar station at 5.55pm asking for assistance.
He said the personnel from the Kampar station told him that the bridge connecting to the village had collapsed and that there was a mudslide.
"Within a minute after receiving the call, a fire engine and a van with nine of us rushed to the site.
"At that time we had never experienced a mudslide before. However when we reached the location, we saw three people from a Chinese family living downstream from Sungai Dipang were stranded on the other side of the river.
"With the collapsed bridge, personnel had to use a longer route to get the people to safety.
"My colleague and I tried to cross the river with a rope, but due to strong currents, we were pushed backwards, and sustained injuries as well.
"But our priority at that time was to get the three people to safety, which we finally did at about 11pm," he said.
Shaharudin added that the search and rescue mission continued for up to a month.
He said that night itself they found two bodies, one of a woman, and the other a child.
"The site was a mess, with mud up to waist level, fallen trees and huge timber logs everywhere.
"At that time we had no sniffer dogs, and we just had to use our nose to smell decomposed bodies, and dig places where we found flies hovering at one spot.
"True enough, upon digging we discovered bodies," he said.
Jasri said most of the bodies discovered had no clothes on due to the strong currents.
He said in the minds of all personnel were to find the bodies, to give families closure, and for the victims to be buried accordingly.
"It was indeed a sad scenario at that time. Most of the bodies discovered were facing downwards.
"I will never forget, when one villager asked me if we found any biscuit tin, and if we did find it, to give it to him, as he had kept his savings inside," he said.
Jasri said besides humans, while digging, they also discovered dead pythons, monitor lizards and iguanas.
Sivanesan told reporters later that the narrative would be documented by the department for safekeeping.
He said during his visit to the site two weeks ago, he also found that the graves where the victims were buried were overgrown with grass and unkept.
"The state government will allocate RM20,000 for the cleaning of the place, as well as to construct a memorial there to remember the victims," he added.
He said a similar narrative would be documented for the rockslide tragedy that occurred on Oct 18, 1973 at the then Kampung Kacang Putih located at the foothill of Gunung Cheroh that destroyed 20 houses and killed 40 people.
