Boys drown on fishing trip in Panchor

Two boys drowned while out fishing at a river in Panchor here Tuesday afternoon.

In the 5.30pm incident, the victims, Mohd Haris Norhafiz, 10, and Mohd Amirul Safwan Osman, 11, who were fishing by the riverbank with some friends, were said to have slipped and fell into the river.

Seremban Fire and Rescue operations head, N. Sundarum told Bernama the bodies of the two victims were recovered by members of the public at 6.15pm and rushed to the Tuanku Ja'afar Hospital here where they were confirmed dead on arrival.

Mohd Haris's uncle, Norefendi Zainal Abidin, when met at the hospital's mortuary, said he came to know about the incident through his son who had joined the group.

"Normally, at this time they (son and his friends) will be playing football. But today they went fishing instead and this has happened and I am all the more saddened because Mohd Haris just celebrated his birthday yesterday," he said.

Seremban police chief ACP Zainal Abu, when contacted, said the case had been classified as sudden death.