Boy slips, feared drowned in Seremban

SEREMBAN: An eight-year-old boy was feared drowned after slipping into a drain at the Cempaka Flat, Garden Avenue, Seremban 2, near here, this afternoon.

Seremban district police chief ACP Mohd Said Ibrahim said the incident happened at about 4 pm when the victim, his nine-year-old brother and a 12-year-old friend were playing in the area.

"Preliminary information revealed that was the victim and two other children were playing by a drain in the Cempaka Flat area when one of them slipped and was washed away in gushing waters following heavy rain," he told reporters when inspecting the scene.

He said that currently, an active search operation was being carried out at the Taman Aroana Impian Water Catchment Pond with the help of 10 policemen and 23 members from the Seremban 2 Fire and Rescue Station at the scene.

He said according to the fire department's assessment, this waterway will continue to Mambau and the focus of the search operation will be done on the surface (of the water) and assisted (beneath the water) by scuba divers.

Meanwhile, the victim's mother, Nurain Ismail, 27, said she was told by her 10-year-old eldest son that the victim had said "goodbye" before being carried away by waters in the drain. Nurain said she is hoping the police and fire brigade would find her son soon.

--BERNAMA