KAMPAR: An 11-year-old girl drowned and two other pupils are still missing after the suspension bridge they were crossing gave way, causing them to plunge into Sungai Kampar.
Click to view graphic The dead girl was identified as N. Dina Deve, 11, from SJK (T) Mambang Diawan in Batu Gajah.
She was swept away by strong currents in the 10.30pm incident on Monday and her body was found at 8.40am yesterday at Kampung Pasir, about three kilometres from the scene of the incident.
The missing two were M. Davadharshini, 11, from SJK (T) Mambang Diawan and V. Diviyasri, 12, of SJK (T) Gopeng. Nineteen others who were on the bridge were rescued from the river.
They were with a group of 294 pupils, aged between 10 and 12, from 64 schools in the Kinta Selatan district attending a four-day1Malaysia camp organised by the Education Ministry to foster better ties between the races.
The pupils were monitored by 25 teachers.
This incident occurred near the location of another tragedy which took place in 1996 where a mudslide swept away the Orang Asli settlement of Pos Dipang, killing 44 people.
The camp, which started on Monday, was held at the Kinta Selatan district education office co-curriculum centre in SK Kuala Dipang, Jeram, near here.
Those who survived the incident said they had had supper at SK Kuala Dipang and were crossing the bridge to get to the campsite, when a few of them started jumping and shaking the bridge.
It was later found that a metal pillar anchoring the cable of the bridge was ripped off its concrete foundation, causing the bridge walkway, with those on it, to fall into the river.
Search and rescue operations: Divers searching for the two missing pupils at Sungai Kampar in Kuala Dipang yesterday. Some pupils fell into shallower waters and managed to wade out, while others were pulled out by a teacher who was nearby and ran to the scene of the incident.
The iron-cable bridge, suspended nine metres above the river, was built recently to replace an old one that had fallen apart with age.
Meanwhile, the search and rescue operation for the missing pupils has been extended 15km downriver, said Kampar police chief Supt Abdul Aziz Salleh.
Abdul Aziz said the river was swift-flowing but the rescuers would continue with their search until they found the two girls.
In Putrajaya, Fire and Rescue Services Department director-general Datuk Hamzah Abu Bakar said the department had sent 111 firemen from stations in Gopeng, Kampar and other areas to help with the operation.
Aluminium rescue boats, three dogs from the department’s Canine Unit and a helicopter were also despatched to the site.
“We have also put a few members of our scuba team on stand-by at the site,” he added.
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