KUANTAN: A participant in the Komander Kesatria Endurance Challenge (KKEC) died after suffering breathing difficulties while taking part in the Mara Lasak event on Friday (Sept 4).
Maran Police chief Supt Wong Kim Wai said the 21-year-old Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) student was taken to Jengka Hospital in Maran initially, but was later transferred to Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah Hospital in Temerloh after his condition deteriorated due to a drop in oxygen levels.
"The student died at 2.08pm on Saturday (Sept 5) while being treated in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at the hospital. The post-mortem findings are pending laboratory investigations,” he said in a statement on Sunday (Sept 6).
He said eight other students, comprising four male and four female students, also suffered breathing difficulties in the incident at 9.57pm and were taken to Jengka Hospital.
"Investigations found that two students who were referred to the hospital were admitted to the ICU on Saturday due to a drop in oxygen levels. They remain in stable condition,” he said.
Wong said six students who received treatment at Jengka Hospital were also in stable condition and remained under observation.
He said UiTM Jengka hosted the KKEC Duathlon, involving 521 participants from UiTM campuses nationwide, except Sarawak. The event began on Sept 2 and is scheduled to end on Sept 8.
The challenge comprised an eight-km run, a 20km cycling segment and a 10km Mara Lasak event, he added.
Meanwhile, Wong said police were still conducting investigations and advised the public not to speculate or share unverified information, particularly on social media, as this could hamper investigations and cause confusion among the family and the community.
He also advised the public to refrain from strenuous outdoor activities amid the current hot and hazy conditions. — Bernama
