East coast floods claim one more life

The floods in the east coast have claimed one more life, bringing the death toll to two thus far.

In the latest incident, a 15-year old boy drowned after he fell overboard a sampan near his home in Bukit Mentok, Kemaman at 2pm Wednesday.

Kemaman police chief Che Suza Che Hitam said apparently the boat got stuck in some undergrowth and when the boy tried to free it, slipped and fell overboard and was swept away by strong currents.

He said a friend of the boy who was also on the boat had also gone missing and was feared to have drowned as well.

"The family only realised he was missing after he did not return home after about two hours. Finding the sampan empty, they mounted a search and found his body floating in the flood waters a short distance away at around 4.30pm.," he said.