Post-mortem results show Dr Wong Kar Lin died from blunt force chest injuries and traumatic asphyxia following a landslide in George Town.
GEORGE TOWN: A doctor who died in a landslide at Taman Seri Rambai, Paya Terubong, here yesterday succumbed to blunt force injuries to the chest and traumatic asphyxia, according to the post-mortem findings.
Timur Laut District Police Chief ACP Abdul Rozak Muhammad said the post-mortem on Dr Wong Kar Lin, 73, was conducted at the Forensic Department of Penang Hospital last night and completed at 3 am today, after which the body was claimed by his family.
“The post-mortem report confirmed that the cause of death was blunt force injuries and traumatic asphyxia following a landslide,” he told reporters after inspecting the landslide site here today.
He also said police had tightened security in the affected area, particularly around the six houses that had been evacuated, to prevent trespassing while residents were ordered to relocate.
The landslide, which occurred at 8.36 am yesterday, claimed Dr Wong’s life after he was buried when the earth collapse struck his house, while his wife, Chang Mei Nuo, 68, and mother-in-law, Wong Poh Lim, in her 80s, managed to escape.
Abdul Rozak said the duration of police deployment in the area, including the stationing of a mobile police station, had yet to be determined and would depend on the outcome of a technical meeting and assessments by the local authority’s investigation team and relevant agencies.
He said the affected area remained closed for safety reasons due to the risk of another landslide, particularly in the event of rain, based on the assessment of technical experts.
In this regard, he advised local residents and the public to comply with the authorities’ instructions and stay away from or refrain from entering the restricted area to avoid endangering their safety.
“Police will remain at the site to ensure security. However, no timeframe has been set for the closure of the area as this will depend on the assessment and decision of the team conducting the investigation at the site,” he said.
He said police would complete their investigation into the incident under a sudden death report (SDR) and that no other reports related to the incident had been received so far.