KUALA LUMPUR: Three children were feared drowned in a river near the Sungai Besi army camp after falling into it while fishing with five others.
Four of the children fell into the river, but one was saved by friends before he could be swept away.
As of 10pm, rescuers were still looking for the children, aged 10, 12 and 14.
The 40-year-old father of one of the missing children, army Sergeant Primus Adin, said two of his sons were among the group fishing along the banks of Sungai Kuyuh.
He said 13-year-old Dennylson and Joe Jerry, 12, both fell into the river, along with two other friends.
“I was on duty (in the camp) when the incident occurred. At 6.30pm, a friend called me to say that my children had fallen into the river in front of the camp,” he said.
Primus said he rushed to the site and was told that the four friends who did not fall into the river managed to rescue Dennylson.
“But they couldn’t do anything to help pull the other three, including my younger son Joe Jerry, to safety,” the distraught father said.
Primus said his children left the house to go fishing without the knowledge or permission of his wife, Rubinah Ilus, 37.
“My wife was at home after her duty ended at 2pm,” he said, adding that his wife worked as a caterer’s assistant at the army Electronic Communications Institute.
A Sungai Besi fire station spokesman said the Fire and Rescue Department received distress call at 6.47pm and despatched several firemen, arriving several minutes later at the scene.
As of 10pm, rescuer were still searching for the victims, with the search area now expanded until Sungai Raya Permai, The Mines and Sungai Krayong.