JOHOR BARU: The Johor police will ascertain if there were any violation to the standard operating procedures in a bomb disposal exercise which led to a landslide which caused two policemen to be critically injured.
State police chief Commissioner M. Kumar said investigation will include finding out whether there were any violations in the SOP.
"The police are in the process of investigating the true cause of the incident, but it is still too early to comment on this incident.
"Give the police space to conduct the investigation; after this, we will examine if there are any weaknesses in the SOP and so on," he told a press conference at the Johor police headquarters today.
He said this when asked to comment on the investigation into the incident involving the two policemen.
According to Kumar, this type of incident was the first of its kind.
"The two officers, who were previously treated in the intensive care unit at Enche' Besar Hajjah Khalsom Hospital, Kluang have been transfered to the normal ward. I will visit them today," he said.
Two policemen were injured after a bomb detonation exercise in Bandar T6, Taman Lambak in Kluang went awry yesterday (Tuesday), triggering a landslide.
The incident resulted in Corporal Abdul Halim Zainal, 39, suffering fractures to his hip and three ribs on the left side, while Corporal Muhammad Faruuqi Shamsary, 34, sustained fractures to his thigh and ribs on the left side.
District police chief Assistant Commissioner Bahrin Mohd Noh had said the duo from the Bomb Disposal Unit had dug holes to place the 500-pound aerial bomb from 1952 in preparation for detonation at 2.20pm.
However, while preparing for the controlled bomb destruction, a landslide occurred, burying both men.
Bahrin had said it had rained earlier, and the ground was damp, which is believed to have caused the landslide. He had added that the controlled destruction of the aerial bomb had not yet been conducted when the ground collapsed.
Both policemen were reported to be in stable condition and are recuperating at Enche' Besar Hajah Khalsom Hospital.
Both policemen were on duty to dispose of an old Aerial 500 Lbs 1952 bomb that had been found by the public at the scene.
Police had said that when they were disposing of the bomb, a landslide occurred, causing them to be buried and injured.