KLUANG:The body of a Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia (USIM) student, Ikmal Hakimi Mahasan, who was reported missing yesterday, was found at Kampung Bentong, here at noon today.

Kluang district police chief ACP Low Hang Seng said the body of the 20-year-old student was found almost 50 metres away from his car at around 12.20 pm after being swept away by swift currents from a nearby river that broke its banks. Ikmal is the second death linked to the recent Johor floods.

He said the victim was believed to be on his way from his residence in Taman Suria heading to the house of an acquaintance known as 'Amir' in USIM, who lived in Kampung Bentong when the incident occurred.

"The father of the victim, Mahasan Mohd Daud, 50, contacted another of his son's friends known as Syafikh, at 11 am yesterday, stating that he had gone to his son's residence in Taman Suria at 2 am but there was no one there.

"He had tried to contact his son but the phone was not active, and the victim's Perodua Axia was also not at the house," he said in a statement today.

Low explained that according to the victim's friend's (Syafikh) statement, the victim was supposed to have arrived at Amir's house using Jalan Kampung Melayu Nyior after Jalan Kampung Bentong was flooded.

He said the victim, a first-year student, then tried to contact his father but failed.

"The victim's body was found today, and brought to the Enche' Besar Hajjah Khalsom Hospital in Kluang for further action," he said.

-- BERNAMA