BATANG KALI: While many photos on social media show a fatigued search and rescue (SAR) team here, most people are oblivious to its silent companions who are equally exhausted.
The SAR team's (K9) dog detection unit has been working tirelessly in the operation to locate victims of the Batang Kali landslide since Friday.
Grim-faced, ferocious on command with a keen sense of smell thousands of times more acute than humans, this four-legged heroes' presence is to search the ground in any condition — thick mud or rain.
But came a time in the critical operation of the landslide, a K9 sniffer dog named Blake, which is an English springer spaniel, finally keeled over from exhaustion.
According to Selangor Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM) director Datuk Norazam Khamis, the canine passed out after two consecutive days of hard work.
"After two days of slogging more than the allotted time, they (detection dogs) too badly need to rest and recuperate.
"That's why at this stage, we will rotate them, starting with three (dogs) first, then we will use the rest," he said at a media conference today.
Norazam said there were 11 tracking dogs on standby to assist in the search, with six belonging to JBPM, four to police and one to the army.
"We may ask for an increase if necessary," he said.
As of yesterday afternoon, 24 victims were confirmed dead in the landslide at Father's Organic Farm campsite in Gohtong Jaya on Jalan Genting-Batang Kali.
Sixty-one people survived while nine are still missing.
The search continued at 9am today after it was called off at 9pm yesterday. --Bernama