TAPAH: The body of a woman found drowned in the water surge tragedy during a six-member family outing, including a caregiver, at Sungai Kenjur, Kampung Poh here this afternoon, was identified as Aszura Bani, 37, from Kampung Cegar, Bidor.
Tapah district police chief, Supt Mohd Naim Asnawi said the victim’s sister, Aslinda Bani, aged 38, and her son Muhammad Adam Muhkris Rozi, aged 11, were rescued while three of the victim’s children aged two, four, and seven, are still missing.
“A woman, in her 30s, who was a caregiver to the three missing children was found clinging on to a rock in the river,“ he said when met by reporters at the scene today.
He said efforts to find the three children was actively being carried out together with the Fire and Rescue Department, the Malaysian Civil Defence Force, and residents, with the search radius extending to three kilometres.
Mohd Naim said the river flow was found to be swift during the incident, and the water level decreased after an hour, but based on information, such water incidents in the river area have not occurred in a long time.
He said the victim’s body and the injured caregiver were taken to the Tapah Hospital for further treatment.
Meanwhile, Mohd Naim said the search and rescue (SAR) operation for the victims was suspended at 7.30 pm due to safety reasons and will resume tomorrow morning.
Meanwhile, Assistant Operations Officer of the Malaysian Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM) in Perak, Sabarodzi Nor Ahmad, said the missing three victims were siblings comprising two sisters and a brother.
They are identified as Hanna Mikayla, Hafiy Muhayat (brother) and Hanum Marisa.
He said JBPM’s SAR team comprises 17 members, consisting of eight members from the Bidor Fire and Rescue Station, six members from the Teluk Intan Fire and Rescue Station’s PPDA Unit, two officers from Zone 4 Perak, and one officer from the Perak JBPM headquarters. -Bernama