30 people rescued after being trapped in Malaysian cave

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — About 30 members of a film crew who were trapped in a limestone cave in northern Malaysia during heavy rain Wednesday have been rescued, police said.


30 people rescued after being trapped in Malaysian cave© Provided by The Canadian Press

Two police officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to release information, confirmed that all of the people trapped in Tempurung Cave in Kampar district in Perak state were safely evacuated. They couldn't give further details.

Perak police chief Mohamad Yusri Hassan Basri was quoted by the Utusan Malaysia newspaper as saying that the people were trapped when water level near the cave's exit rose to about 1.5 meters (5 feet) due to heavy rains.

He said those trapped were members of a film crew from a Singaporean production company who were shooting at the location. He said there were a total of 80 crew members but most managed to escape except for 30 people, including local people and Singaporeans.

“All the trapped crew were rescued and taken out of the area" two hours after authorities were notified, he was quoted as saying. He said no injuries were reported.

Tempurung Cave, a spectacular network of chambers more than three kilometers (1.8 miles) long, is believed to be the longest and largest limestone cave in peninsular Malaysia. It is a popular tourist attraction, with sections developed with walkways and lighting.

The Associated Press