KOTA KINABALU: The search for an eight-year-old boy believed to have drowned after being swept away by river currents in Papar entered its second day on Wednesday (June 24).
The victim, identified as Najmal Walki, was reported missing after allegedly slipping while playing near a river at Kampung Mandalipau along Jalan Manggis Kaiduan on Tuesday morning.
The Sabah Fire and Rescue Department said it received an emergency call at 8.28am and deployed a team from the Papar fire station to the scene, about 30km away.
According to initial information from villagers, the boy was seen being carried away by the current in the river.
A search operation was launched, with firefighters setting up a staging area at the Kampung Mandalipau bridge, about 3km from where the victim was believed to have fallen into the river.
The department's Water Rescue Team conducted surface searches and carried out two dives on the first day of operations, assisted by personnel from Papar Water Rafting.
However, the boy was not found and the operation was suspended at 5.10pm on Tuesday before resuming on Wednesday morning.
On the second day, rescuers searched a six-kilometre stretch between Kigandang River View Camp and Papar White Water Rafting using rafting boats and water surface search techniques.
The operation involved six firefighters from the Papar fire station, as well as personnel from the police, Civil Defence Force and Papar Water Rafting.
The search was called off at 5.07pm on Wednesday and will resume on Thursday.
"As of the time the operation was suspended, the victim had yet to be located," the department said.
