Water surge tragedy: Bodies of last two victims found, SAR Ops officially ends, says cop

TAPAH: The search and rescue (SAR) operation for the victims of the water surge tragedy at Sungai Kenjur near Kampung Poh, Bidor, has been concluded following the discovery of the bodies of the last two sisters around 9am on Thursday.

Tapah District Police chief Supt Mohd Naim Asnawi said the body of the two-year-old Hanum Marissa Azam was found at the Kampung Poh bridge, three kilometres away from the scene, while her elder sister Hanna Mikayla Azam, seven, was found 600 metres from the scene.

"Following the discovery of all the bodies, the incident command centre (ICC) at Sekolah Kebangsaan Kampung Poh is now closed,” he told a press conference here on Thursday (Feb 8).

ALSO READ : Kampung Poh water surge tragedy: Boy found drowned, two still missing

At about 4pm on Thursday, six in a family, as well as their domestic helper, were trapped in a water surge tragedy during a picnic at Sungai Kenjur.

Four of the victims; a woman, her son and two daughters were washed away by the strong current, while three others including the helper, survived.

The body of the woman, Aszura Bani, 37, was found later in the afternoon, and the body of her four-year-old son, Hafiy Muhayat Azam, was found at 9.45pm.

Mohd Naim said the picnic and recreational site is closed to the public until the investigation is completed.

Meanwhile, the Perak Fire and Rescue Department director Sayani Saidon said the tragedy occurred due to weather conditions and strong currents, preventing all the victims from being able to save themselves.

"The victims were a woman and her small children. So, when there is a strong water surge and they were in the middle of the river, their ability to save themselves would be minimal,” she said.

As such, she advised the public to be cautious when engaging in recreational activities near rivers and water sources.

"With the unpredictable weather conditions, I advise the public to limit activities in watery places to avoid any unwanted incidents,” she said. -Bernama

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