Tuesday May 4, 2004
Lightning horror: Two killed, 22 injured in strike on mountain peak
Two people were killed and at least 22 others injured when lightning struck a group of 31 campers atop the 1,683m Gunung Rajah, about 40km from here on Sunday night.
Pahang police chief Deputy Comm Datuk Ramli Yusof identified the dead as factory worker and team leader Mohd Nazim Ibrahim, 35, from Kepala Batas, Penang, and student Ahmad Shah Jaffar, 23, from Mempaga 3 here.
The group of campers comprised 27 men and four women. Nine were workers at a factory in Nilai, Negri Sembilan, 16 were students from the Pahang Professional Skills Institute (Ikip) in Kuantan and the other six were mountain climbing guides from here.
At press time, only two campers were still stranded on the mountain as failing light hampered helicopter rescue efforts. However, 18 rescuers, including Bentong OCPD Supt Mohd Noor Hakim Kassim, were on the mountain with the duo, one of whom is said to be injured.
HELP FOR VICTIM: Wan Shahrizan Wan Yusof (centre), who suffered burns and had his hair singed, is helped by Bentong Hospital medical personnel when he alighted from the rescue helicopter at a Bentong football field Monday.
DCP Ramli said those still on the mountain would be airlifted out this morning.
Fourteen of the campers were admitted to the Bentong Hospital. Seven others, who suffered second-degree burns, were sent by ambulance to Kuala Lumpur – six to Kuala Lumpur Hospital and one to Selayang Hospital.
Six others decided to trek down the mountain with some rescuers and have stopped to rest for the night at Lata Naning and continue with their journey this morning.
The group of 31 people began their climb up Gunung Rajah at 11am on Saturday. At 4pm, they decided to rest for the night at Lata Naning, which is about halfway up the mountain.
At 10am the following day, they continued with their climb and reached the Gunung Rajah peak at 4.30pm. They pitched two tents on the peak and seven others about one metre below.
At 8pm, it started raining heavily and a lightning bolt hit a nearby tree at 9.50pm, killing Mohd Nazim and Ahmad Shah on the spot.
One of the campers, Mohd Rahmat Razali, 23, from Nilai, called his colleague, who was in Temerloh, for help via a handphone at 10.30pm.
Amy Suzana (centre) being consoled by Nor Hafida (left) and Nor Zaimah
The friend, Redzuan Asari, 22, then called the Fire and Rescue Department while his uncle called the police.
A 24-man rescue team comprising Fire and Rescue Department personnel, policemen and the armed forces was then assembled and made their way up Gunung Rajah at 2am yesterday. At 10am, Supt Mohd Noor Hakim and Dr Ellyza Sallehuddin from the Bentong Hospital left for the mountain top by helicopter.
At 3pm, the first three rescued campers were airlifted to safety to a field near the Bentong Golf Club, which was used to co-ordinate the air rescue operation.
However, thick cloud cover on the mountain hampered rescue efforts for almost four hours after that. At 6.50pm the six helicopters used for rescue operations began airlifting the campers again.
By 7.30pm they had brought down 14 people and the deceased. Rescue efforts were called off a short while later due to the failing light.
All the injured have been hospitalised, except for Mohd Ridzwan Yusof, who is among the two climbers still stranded on the mountain top.
Those at KL Hospital are Wan Shahrizan Wan Yusof, 18; Mohd Sobri Zainol Abidin, 18; Mohamad Nor Azwan Nor Azahari, 17; Sofian Mohd Nor, 30; Muhd Nizam Abu Bakar, 28 and Muhd Azroi Khatib, 18.
Muhd Nor Hafiz Mohd Daud, 18, is at Selayang Hospital while the rest are in Bentong Hospital. They are Mohd Noor Harizan Mohd Daud, 27; Mohd Rahmat; Faizu Deraman, 24; Fizal Musli, 37; Mohd Anuar Yusof, 21; Mohd Aswad Abd Manaf, 18; Suhaimi Abd Jani, 32; Shaiful Hafizam Yahya, 18; Julia Sharif, 18; Muhd Fikri Zahari, 19; Izhar Bidin, 27; Mohd Yusof Ramli, 18; Suhaimi Abd Jari, 32, and Nurul Nadia, 18.
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2004/5/4/nation/7908095&sec=nationDua maut dipanah petir: 21 cedera ketika berkhemah di Gng Rajah
KUALA LUMPUR: Seorang peserta ekspedisi mendaki Gunung Rajah, dekat Bentong, Mohd Nor Azman Noor Azahari, 17, terpelanting beberapa meter sebaik melihat kilauan cahaya dan pahanan petir yang menyebabkan dua rakannya terbunuh, malam semalam.
“Waktu itu saya sedang sedang sibuk membaiki khemah kerana hujan agak lebat.
“Tiba-tiba saya ternampak silau cahaya dengan diikuti letupan kuat sebelum saya terpelanting di celah batang pokok,” kata Mohd Nor Azman ketika ditemui di Hospital Kuala Lumpur (HKL), malam tadi.
Menurutnya, kejadian itu berlaku sekelip mata dan dia hanya dapat mendengar rakannya menjerit dan mengerang kesakitan dalam kegelapan.
“Saya dapat merasakan tubuh saya melecur terbakar dan berasap. Ketika itu saya mula sedar kami semua terkena panahan petir.
“Saya cuba bangun tapi kaki saya terlalu lemah. Saya cuma tahu ada dua dari ahli ekspedisi cedera parah dan kemudian meninggal dunia,” katanya.
Dia adalah seorang dari enam ahli ekspedisi yang dipindahkan dari Hospital Bentong untuk mendapatkan rawatan di Unit Separa Kecemasan HKL, malam tadi.
Mohd Nor Azman yang terbakar pada hadapan tubuhnya, tiba di Wad Kecemasan HKL bersama dua lagi anggota ekspedisi, Wan Sharizan Wan Yusoff, 18, dan Mohd Sabri Zainal, 18.
Jurucakap hospital HKL berkata, Mohd Sabri cedera serius meliputi hampir 43 peratus pada tubuh, terutama pada muka dan mata.
Menurutnya, ketiga-tiga mereka yang tiba pada jam 9.20 malam diberi rawatan di Unit Separa Kecemasan kecuali Mohd Sabri yang dipindahkan ke Unit Kecemasan HKL.
Tiga lagi mangsa , Mohd Nizam Abu Bakar, 27, Soffian Mohd Nor, 30, dan Mohd Azroy Khatib, 18, tiba di HKL pada jam 9.50 malam dan dimasukkan ke unit sama.
Sementara itu, isteri Mohd Nizam, Norhasnila Ismail, 29, berkata, suaminya hanya mengalami kesan terbakar pada belakang tubuh dan terseliuh kaki.
Menurutnya, dia terkejut dengan peristiwa itu kerana suaminya yang bekerja sebagai jurupandu ekspedisi kerap mendaki dan berkhemah di gunung berkenaan.
“Dia bertugas dengan syarikat Explorasi Asian sejak beberapa bulan lalu. Saya tidak sangka kejadian ini boleh menimpanya kerana dia sepatutnya pulang ke rumah malam ini (semalam),” katanya.
Menurutnya, suaminya mula memulakan ekspedisi Jumaat lalu dan hanya memulakan pendakian ke puncak gunung, pagi Sabtu lalu.
“Dia ada memberitahu ternampak api terpercik dari tanah sebelum belakang tubuhnya disambar api.
“Dalam perjalanan ketika dibawa ke HKL, Nizam hanya mengerang kesakitan dan mengadu terlalu lapar kerana tidak menjamah sebarang makanan sejak kejadian,” katanya.
TERBUNUH
1. Mohd Nazim Ibrahim, 30, pekerja kilang di Nilai, Negeri Sembilan,
2. Ahmad Shah Jaffar, 23, penuntut Institut Kemahiran Ikhtisas, Pahang.
CEDERA
1. Wan Shahrizan Wan Yusof, 18, (Kg Paya Siput,Lancang, Pahang).
2. Mohd Sobri Zainol Abidin, 18 (Kg Repas, Bentong).
3. Mohamad Nor Azwan Nor Azahari, 17, (Bentong).
4. Mohd Noor Harizan Mohd Daud, 18 (Mengkarak, Pahang).
5. Mohd Rah mad Razali, 23 (Nilai, Negeri Sembilan).
6. Faizu Deraman, 24 (Nilai, Negeri Sembilan).
7. Fizal Hj Musli (Ulu Bernam, Selangor).
8. Sofian Mohd Nor, 30, (Kuala Repas, Bentong).
9. Mohd Anuar Yusof, 21 (Felda Mempaga, Bentong).
10. Mohd Aswad Abd Manaf,18 (Kuala Lipis, Pahang).
11. Suhaimi Abd Jani, 32 (Felda Kg Awah, Temerloh).
12. Shaiful Hafizam Yahya,18 (Lanchang, Pahang).
13. Julia Sharif (wanita),18, (Raub, Pahang).
14. Muhd Nor Hafiz Mohd Daud,18 (Mengkarak,Pahang).
15. Muhd Fikri Zahari, 19 (Felda Mempaga 3, Bentong).
16. Muhd Nizam Abu Bakar, 28 (Damansara Utama, Selangor).
17. Muhd Azroy Khatib,18 (Bentong, Pahang).
18. Izhar Bidin, 28 (Nilai, Negeri Sembilan).
19. Mohd Yusof Ramli, 18 (Bentong, Pahang).
20. Suhaimi Abd Jari, 32 (Felda Kg Awah, Temerloh, Pahang).
21. Nurul Nadia, 18, (Raub, Pahang)
http://shw.pacat.fotopages.com/1020784/Mangsa-yang-meninggal-dunia.html