Body of seventh and final Tanjung Karang boat tragedy victim found

Bomba personnel lifting the body of G. Shankar which was found awash on the shores of Parit 4 Sekinchan, Sunday. - Photo courtesy of Bomba Malaysia

KUALA LUMPUR: The body of the seventh and final victim from the boat tragedy off Tanjung Karang in Selangor has been found.

Rescuers found the body of 24-year-old Shankar Gunasegaran washed ashore in Parit 4, Sekinchan, some 10km from where the boat carrying him and 13 others overturned after it sprung a leak on Thursday.

Selangor Fire and Rescue Department operations assistant director Mohd Sani Harul said the victim was wedged in between mangrove tree roots and was retrieved at about 2.58pm on Sunday.

The four-day search operation, which mobilised eight boats and 55 people, was officially ended at 4pm yesterday.

Shankar’s body was taken to the Tanjung Karang Hospital.

The victims set off from the Bagan Pasir jetty on a fishing boat to scatter ashes and perform a religious ceremony out on the water on Thursday.

Unfortunately, the boat sprung a leak and began to sink while the group was heading back to land at about 5pm and capsized after being hit by waves.

Seven people were pulled out of the water alive by fishermen. Rescuers found the bodies of Muniamah Andy, 49, Logaraj Kunasegaran, 29, Gnaswdree Mooken, 59 and Jaya Sangari Ganasegaran, 27 hours after the incident.

They found the bodies of Kunasegaran Muthu, 57 and Parianathan Arjunan, 30 during the second day of the search.