Najib expresses sadness over discovery of two bodies of Orang Asli pupils

In his Facebook update, Najib also said that he was grateful that two other girls in the group were found safe on Friday.

"Two of the seven missing SK Tohoi pupils were found safe, Alhamdulillah. But at the same time, I also feel the sadness of the families of the two other pupils who were found dead. May their souls be blessed," he posted.

Najib also said that the search and rescue team would continue looking for the remaining missing pupils and asked all Malaysians to pray that the children would be found safe.

READ: Chronology: Mystery of 7 missing Orang Asli students in Pos Tohoi, Gua Musang

Miksudiar Alui, 11, and Norieen Yaakob, 10, were found safe about 3.3 km from the Search and Rescue Operation Centre at around noon on Friday, together with a body of another girl in the group, who was later identified as the nine-year-old Ika Ayel.

The trio were among the seven Orang Asli pupils, comprising six girls and a boy, aged seven to 11 years, who escaped from the school's hostel on Aug 23 for fear of punishment after going for a swim in a river without permission.

On Wednesday, the SAR team had also found a decomposed body of a girl in the river, who was later identified as eight-year-old Sasa Sobrie, one of the missing children.

Yesterday, a part of a child skull and rib bones were found about 500 metres from the site where Sasa's body was found.

The identity, however, has yet to be ascertained.