Excavator driver seriously injured after quarry landslide buries machine in Pokok Sena

ALOR SETAR, May 25 — An excavator driver was seriously injured after it was buried by a quarry landslide at Simpang Bukit Tembaga near Pokok Sena today.

Pokok Sena Fire and Rescue Station chief Senior Fire Officer II Bakar Saad said the department received an emergency call regarding the landslide involving soil and quarry rocks at 2.07 pm before a rescue team arrived at the location about seven minutes later.

“Upon arrival, it was found that a landslide involving soil and quarry rocks had crushed an excavator, causing the driver to become trapped and pinned beneath the debris. The door structure and cabin frame of the excavator had been filled with soil.

“A total of seven personnel from the Pokok Sena Fire and Rescue Station stabilised the situation and carried out rescue operations using hydraulic equipment and special tools to create access space for the victim,” he told reporters at the scene today.

He said the victim, Ahmad Zaidi Dali, 29, who suffered serious injuries, was handed over to medics for further action.

Meanwhile, eyewitness Roshazwan Saad, 35, who was waiting for quarry material to be loaded into his lorry, said the landslide had pushed his lorry forward and shifted it from its original position.

“I was waiting for the victim to load quarry rocks into the lorry when suddenly the landslide occurred. I could not see the victim because he was buried, but I heard him calling for help, so I immediately contacted the 999 emergency line.

“I wanted to help him but did not know what to do as the rocks were huge. I saw his hand sticking out asking for help. I told him to stay calm and wait for the firemen to arrive. I was really panicked because this has never happened in the five years I have been working here,” he said. — Bernama