Authorities have confirmed that nine migrant workers were killed and four others injured in the landslide that occurred last week at the construction site of the Bukit Kukus paired road project in Paya Terubong.

The search-and-rescue operation ended at 6pm after all the debris had been moved and no more bodies were found following the tragedy which occurred at 1.56pm last Friday.

The nine who died were five Bangladeshi men, three Indonesian men and one Myanmar woman. Two of the bodies were found last Friday, two on Saturday, three on Sunday and two yesterday.

More than 200 SAR personnel, aided by K9 sniffer dogs, who had scoured the 100,000 sq ft landslide area ended the operation after finding no more signs of other victims, said Penang Fire and Rescue Department director Saadon Mokhtar.

The dead have been identified as Bangladeshi nationals Attarul, 35, Mustak Hossain, 25, Mithu Hossain, 30, Mohamad Jalil, 31, Mohamad Uzzal, 33; Indonesians Samsul Asman, 19, Bahtiar, 36, and Subaeri, 34; and Myanmar Khin Aye Khaing, 33.

The injured are a Bangladesh national Shamim, 24, who is still at the Penang Hospital; Indonesians Wa Iri, 36, the pregnant wife of Bahtiar who died in the landslide, and Laduma; and a Cambodian woman Norazizah, 24, the wife of Subaeri who died in the landslide.

Following the landslide on Friday, 10 people were reported missing, feared to have been buried alive but only nine bodies were recovered after five days. A Bangladeshi man, identified as Mohamad Rahaz, 25, has been reported missing.

Rescuers searched the last remaining area where the debris was moved today, but found no sign of Rahaz in the rubble of the 13 shattered kongsi and containers used as makeshift quarters by the migrant construction workers.

“The rescuers failed to find what was supposed to be the body of the 10th victim,” said Saadon.

He said the debris in the last segment of the landslide was moved at 5pm and the sniffer dogs were allowed to get to work for almost an hour, but found nothing.

- Bernama