Remains of Orang Asli woman to be sent for second post-mortem - Police

GUA MUSANG, June 14 (Bernama) -- The remains of an Orang Asli woman from the Batek tribe, Puja Joh will be sent for a second post-mortem after the first revealed that she had died of pneumonia, said Kelantan Police chief Datuk Hasanuddin Hassan.

He said the police were working to bring out the remains of the woman, who was in her 20s.

"Puja’s grave has been discovered on a tree platform," he told reporters at Dewan Felda Aring 10 here today.

Puja is the second victim who was previously confirmed to have died of pneumonia on June 6.

Earlier, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail visited the area and being briefed about the situation at the National Disaster Management Agency (NADMA) operation centre at the same hall.

Also present were Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Senator P Waytha Moorthy and Water, Land and Natural Resources Minister Dr Xavier Jayakumar.

Commenting on the development of Ops Batek, which enters its third day today, Hasanuddin said the search and recovery team had identified the location of the graves of the last four victims.

He said two graves were found across a river while two others were deep in the forests.

Hasanuddin said the police were also willing to extend the operation period if there was a possibility that the number of deaths was more than 12.

The latest statistics showed that 103 Orang Asli have received treatment for the disease as at June 13, with 56 receiving outpatient treatment, 42 warded in normal wards, and five in the intensive care units of  Gua Musang Hospital, Kuala Krai Hospital and Raja Perempuan Zainab II (HRPZII) Hospital in Kota Bharu.

-- BERNAMA