KUALA LUMPUR: “I am thankful that our search for three days end today and we found the bodies of my son and his friend after we recited some prayers at the location earlier today.”
Those were the words of 46-year-old Ridzwan Zainal Abidin, the father of Rafiuddin Fakhrullah, one of the two teenagers who drowned in a monsoon drain near a school in Taman Yarl on Monday.
Rizwan said he was waiting to identify the body of his son at Canselor Tuanku Muhriz Hospital before the family could claim the body for funeral arrangements.
“We were informed of the discovery of the body while (we were) at the location. I and my eldest son (Rashid Redza, 18) went to the location near PPR Kampung Muhibbah after subuh prayer, about 7.30am to recite prayers to ease the search.
“A few minutes later, the Fire and Rescue Department informed us of the discovery,” he said when met at the hospital in Cheras today.
The victim’s body was buried in Kampung Tohol, Kinrara muslim cemetery about 4pm.
Meanwhile, Amran Mohamed Ali, 35, the father of another victim Muhammad Syafiq Akmal, said the family accepted the death of their child.
Syafiq, the second of six siblings, was buried at Pantai Dalam muslim cemetery about 3.40pm.
On Monday, three students of SM Taman Yarl - Shafiq, Rafiuddin and Aidil Azhar Sham Saffiri, were on their way back from school and crossed the monsoon drain around 3pm.
Shafiq and Rafiuddin were swept away by the strong currents while Aidil managed to escape.
Aidil then contacted the school. After police were alerted, a search and rescue (SAR) operation was launched to locate the duo.