KUALA LUMPUR, 20 Feb 2017:
The identity of the bodies of two victims who drowned while fishing at a river near the Sungai Buloh Camp yesterday have been ascertained.
Sungai Buloh district police chief Supt S. Somu said the first body was that of Indonesian Hashir, 38, while the other was Jamaluddin Rapawi, 14.
A little later, another body was found at 3.45pm today. A Selangor Fire and Rescue Department spokesman said the body of Jeleha Hashim, 48, was found 18km from the Fire Control Post (PKB) in Kampung Paya Jaras.
“The body has been taken to Sungai Buloh Hospital for post mortem.”
At 12.30pm, the body of Silawati Zailan was found about 13km away. Jamaluddin’s father – identified as Rapawi Jum’ada, 37, was found at 4.35pm.
“Post mortem on the bodies will be conducted today at the Sungai Buloh Hospital and then handed over to their next-of kin.”
He said the incident at the river was the first since 2013 and a notice advising the public against fishing in the area would be put up.
The bodies of two victims found in Sungai Gasi – which were brought to the Sungai Buloh Hospital – were identified by family members.
A police officer investigating the case at the scene said the first body that was found yesterday was that the Indonesian man, while the second was the Malaysian boy.
“We are continuing with the search for other victims , including the parents of the 13-year-old boy. The father is an Indonesian with permanent resident status. The boy’s body was identified by his uncle.”
Five people are missing, and feared drowned, while fishing at a river near the Sungai Buloh Camp yesterday.
However, police did not discount the possibility that there would be more victims as initial information indicated that there were other groups of anglers in the area at that time.
A spokesman at the Sungai Buloh Fire and Rescue Station said the station received a distress call on the incident at 5.42pm.
An individual who escaped from being drowned in the incident – when anglers were swept off by the sudden river current – recalled anxious moments when his wife slipped from his grip and was carried off.
“I managed to hold on to my wife before her hand slipped from my grip and she was dragged off by the strong current.” said Mohd Rizal Mat Desa, 31, describing the incident which swept away Shilawati Zailan, 31.
Mohd Rizal, who could not hold back tears, said he was also swept off by the current but managed to grab a tree branch during the incident caused by heavy rain yesterday evening.
“Later, I saw my wife’s hand waving in the water and I immediately jumped back into the river to save her, but it was in vain.”
Mohd Rizal, who works as a lorry driver, said he also saw several other victims swept by the current while they waved their hands asking to be rescued.
Selangor Fire and Rescue director Azmi Osman said more the 70 firemen, including from the Kuala Selangor station, as well as the police and members of the Civil Defence Force, are involved in the search operation today – which has been has been expanded up to 20km from where they were believed to have been swept away.
He said the Fire and Rescue Department Tracker Dog Unit (K9) and the diving team were also involved in the search operation.
He advised the public against conducting water activities at rivers or irrigation canals – adding that 12 people had been reported drowned since January this year in Selangor.
Ten of them drowned while conducting activities at the river, and two others, at the irrigation canal, he said.
Meanwhile in KUANTAN, the bodies of two youths feared drowned during a picnic at a waterfall at Air Terjun Berkelah here yesterday were found at 8am today.
A senior officer with the Kuantan Fire and Rescue Department diving squad, Alif Hafizul Mohammad, said the bodies of Muhammad Shahfaris Shahri and Azfan Muhammad – both 22 – were found about 10 minutes after the search and rescue operation resumed this morning.
Their bodies were identified by family members and friends at the site, he said. He said the bodies were found at the seventh level of the water fall and efforts were being made to bring them down.
Muhammad Shahfaris and Azfan, both from Klang, Selangor,went to the waterfall for a picnic with 10 others and they were believed to have drowned at about 3.10pm.
– Bernama