10-year-old girl drowned while catching fish in Besut

The victim Saidatul Insyirah Abdul Muin, 10, who had learning disabilities went to the canal with two others including her younger sister to catch fish.

Besut district police chief Supt Abdul Rozak Muhammad said the victim's father Abdul Muin Muhammad heard about the 1.30 pm incident from her younger daughter who came home to tell him that the victim had fallen into the canal.

He said Abdul Muin rushed to the scene located about 500 metres from Pondok Raudhatul Muhammad School, where they live.

"Students from the school jumped into the canal to help the victim before finding her shortly after," he told reporters adding that the victim was unconscious when brought on land before her father rushed her to the Jabi Health Clinic.

However, she was pronounced dead at the health clinic, he added.

"The victim's body was then sent to the Besut District Hospital Forensic Unit at about 6.40 pm for a post-mortem," he said adding that initial investigations found no element of crime and the case was classified as sudden death.