Perak fire and rescue department director Azmi Osman said according to witnesses, an excavator driver and his assistant were believed to have been standing near each other at the time of the incident in Keramat Pulai, Jalan Simpang Pulai-Cameron Highlands.

“We don’t know exactly where the victims were standing but we have determined the location of the excavator from the account of two men who saw the incident and managed to escape,” he told reporters at the scene here today.

Azmi said initial investigation showed that the two victims, Kheow Loo Siew Soon, 49, and Itam Lasoh, 43, were believed to be buried at a depth of 10-12m under the rubble.

Azmi said his team also used special equipment to detect soil movements around the scene.

“It is a time-consuming process that also depends on the weather condition. If it rains, we will be forced to stop the operation. We are also being advised by the minerals and geoscience department on the structure of the hills,” he said.

The two men who escaped the incident at 9.15am yesterday were identified as Razli Suhaimi, 35, and Pan Tam, 38, who suffered minor injuries.