Tuesday 27 October 2009

One pupil drowns, 21 missing after suspension bridge collapses into Kampar River (update)

Update: According to a report from The Star two pupils are still missing and 19 others have been found safe (read here ).

What a relief ! My prayers are for the two missing girls. I hope they will be found ... safe.

Earlier report:

KAMPAR, Oct 27 (Bernama)- One pupil drowned and 21 others are feared missing after a newly built suspension bridge collapsed into the Kampar River as pupils participating in a 1Malaysia camp were walking across at Sekolah Kebangsaan Kuala Dipang near here Monday night.

About 20 other pupils managed to hold on to the ropes of the collapsed bridge and saved themselves while several others were pulled out of the swift-flowing river by a teacher and a guard of the school in the incident at about 10.30pm.

Perak Deputy Chief Police Officer Datuk Zakaria Yusof said on Tuesday the body of the pupil, an Indian girl, was found by rescuers at 8.30am and had been sent to the Kampar Hospital. (According to the star she has been identified as Dina Deve Nathan, 11.)

He told reporters at the Sekolah Kebangsaan Kuala Dipang that rescuers were unsure of the actual number of pupils feared missing and that the police had asked the education department to furnish the names of the pupils participating in the camp.

It had been reported earlier that 22 pupils had gone missing in the accident. -- BERNAMA.

Picture: (Courtesy of the Star); Rescuers retrieving the body of Dina Deve Nathan, 11, from SK Tamil Mambang Diawan at 8.40am on October 27

6 comments:

concerned mother said...

My heart goes to the family Deve Nathan.

Just wondering how a newly-built suspension bridge could collapse. It was reported that it was built two weeks ago.

Was it certiffied safe?

And for the kids to cross it at an unearthly hour - 10.30pm?

Did they think of the safety of the pupils?

seri said...

My prayers are for the two missing girl and their parents.

And condolences to the parents of Deve.

I am sad and angry at the same time as to why this could happened. Did the organisers take into account the saftey of the pupils?

Crossing a suspension bridge at night? Isnt that dangerous?

Somebody has to take responsiblity for this.

lkh said...

According to the Star, Fire and Rescue Services Department director-general Datuk Hamzah Abu Bakar said initial investigations revealed that the anchor for the bridge’s cable failed.

The anchor was pulled out and the bridge gave way. But why it gave way is yet to be ascertained, he said.

In the first place was it certified safe?

Why only after a tragedy has occurred?

It only happens in this country. Sickens me.

adik said...

Saya berasa amat sedih atas trajedi yang berlaku yang melibatkan kematian sorang dan dua lagi yang masih hilang.

Saya mengucapkan takziah kpd keluarga adik Deve yang mati lemas dalam kejadian tersebut dan berharap dua orang murid yang hilang itu dapat dijumpai.

Alhamdullilah 19 orang murid yang lain dapat diselamatkan.

Anonymous said...

Was the bridge built to specification? Get the contractor who built the bridge.

Tis a lesson to be learnt.

puteri said...

I hope the authorities will find out why the bridge collapse considering that it built two weeks ago to replace an aging one and who certified it...fit to e used.