Another injured worker dies, six others transferred to hospitals in Peninsula by RMAF mercy flight
Medical personnel arriving at the RMAF base with North Korean national Yang Chol Jin, 36, for the scheduled mercy flight yesterday.
KUCHING: Another victim from the Selantik coal mine blast in Sri Aman passed away last night at the Sarawak General Hospital (SGH), bringing the total number of deaths to four.
The deceased, an Indonesian, succumbed around 7pm at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) due to severe brain injuries.
State Health Director Datu Dr Zulkifli Jantan, when contacted yesterday, confirmed the latest death but said he could not release the identity of the deceased.
“The victim died at the ICU from severe brain injuries. I cannot divulge his identity until his family members have been notified of his death by his country’s consulate,” he said.
Earlier yesterday, six more injured workers were flown to medical facilities in Peninsular Malaysia for treatment due to the limited number of burn specialists in the state to cope with the number of victims.
The six , comprising three Indonesians, two North Koreans and a Myanmar national, were transported to hospitals in Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Kedah, Terengganu and Kelantan in a mercy flight using a Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) aircarft.
Dr Zulkifli said the six badly-burnt victims had to be referred to other specialist hospitals in the country as there were not enough burn specialists in the state to cope with the number of workers injured in the mine explosion.
He also said the six were among the 21 blast victims who were initially admitted to the Sarawak General Hospital following the incident in Selantik, Sri Aman which claimed the lives of three workers.
The three Indonesians, identified as Triyono, Mohammad Zaenudin and Abdul Salam, were respectively referred to the Sultanah Nur Zahirah Hospital in Kuala Terengganu, Universiti Sains Malaysia Hospital in Kelantan and Sungai Buloh Hospital in Selangor.
North Koreans Sin Chol Ju and Yang Chol Jin were both flown to the Alor Setar Hospital in Kedah, while Myanmar national Aung Min Htut was sent to the Kuala Lumpur Hospital.
Zulkifli added two other victims were referred to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Kota Kinabalu on Monday.
“There were a total of 30 victims warded, with some suffering 60 to 80 per cent burns. Some are recovering and can walk around. We expect to discharge them within the next few days,” he added.
A post mortem procedure was also performed yesterday on the three deceased workers- Tun Tun Win, Pang Chung Hyok, and Kardianto- at the Sarawak General Hospital mortuary to determine the cause of death.
Meanwhile, an operation by the Fire and Rescue Services Department to determine the safety of the affected shaft at the coal mine ended on Monday night.
A statement issued by the department reported that the tunnel had been declared safe by a Bomba inspection team, and that the mine was subsequently handed back to the coal mining company following discussions with the police at 9.30pm.