Bukit Beruntung drowning tragedy: Last body retrieved, two victims laid to rest

The last body of seven victims who drowned in a tributary of Sungai Selangor in Kampung Sungai Timah, Bukit Beruntung here was found at 1.15pm today.

Hulu Selangor OCPD Supt R Supramaniam said the body of Muhammad Aiman Kamarul Ariffin, 12, fully dressed, was spotted by passers by on the riverbank about 13 kilometres from the scene of the incident.

"The victim's body was found outside the search scope of five kilometres," he told a press conference here.

According to Supramaniam, the victim was indetified by his brother, aged 21, and the body was then taken to the Kuala Kubu Bharu Hospital for post-mortem.

Earlier, at 10.20am the body of another victim, Muhammad Ikhwan Mohd Ridwan, 10, was found at the riverbank about three kilometres from the search and rescue (SAR) operations centre.

Supramaniam said following the discovery of the body, the SAR centre in Kampung Timah here was closed at 2.30pm.

Meanwhile, the bodies of Muhammad Aiman and Muhammad Ikhwan were buried at the Muslim cemetery in Bukit Beruntung here.

Earlier, their remains were brought to Surau Raudatul Jannah and Surau Abu Bakar Ali Bashah for the final rites, respectively.

The third day of operations today saw the involvement of 115 people including civilians using five boats belonging to the Fire and Rescue Department and Civil Defence Force.

In the incident at about 5pm on Friday, eight children aged between nine and 12 were swept away by strong currents while they were fishing at the river.

One of them survived, while seven drowned.

The five other victims who died in the incident were siblings Shahrizat Abdullah, 12, and Shahrizwan, 10; Amirul Hakimi Khairul Amru, 9, Muhammad Iskandar Shah, 12, and Muhammad Aiman Fitri Md Asmadi, 12. - BERNAMA