KOTA KINABALU: Firefighters have ended the search and rescue operation in the Lahad Datu water surge incident after it was confirmed that everyone involved has been accounted for.
Lahad Datu Fire and Rescue Department station chief Sumsoa Rashid said the operation was called off at 1pm Monday (May 6) after the bodies of three victims were found.
On the initial report that 17 people were caught in the incident at the Mak Sina valley in Makuau Beach, Sumsoa said it was ascertained that 15 people - consisting of four guides and 11 trekkers - were part of the group that got swept away by the water surge.
"From the four guides, one died while another was rescued and two others fled to safety. And from the 11 trekkers, two died, so three people died (and 12 survived) in total," he said.
From the police's interview with the survivors, Sumsoa said it was learnt that there could be up to 18 people in the group.
However, he said the details of the additional three people could not be established.
"They could be villagers who tagged along with the group on their own.
"So, there are only 15 people in the group. These are the figures we used to coordinate with the police and they will also use these numbers.
"The details will be shared by the Lahad Datu police chief in a press conference later in the evening," he said.
It was reported earlier that search and rescue efforts were still on to locate three people who went missing in the incident which took place around Sunday (May 5) evening.
Sumsoa had said they were alerted to the incident at 8.28pm.
A team was rushed to the location, located some 56km from the district station, he said, adding that they arrived at the scene at 9.36pm.
He said the group was trapped on the other side of a river due to a water surge that occurred while they were on a trekking excursion.
Sumsoa said rescuers brought nine people to safety while two other members of the group, who were injured, had managed to escape on their own.
The injured duo had made the distress call, he added.
"We managed to rescue nine people but we later found three bodies under a pile of wood at 1.37am," Sumsoa said.
