BALING: The bodies of a school teacher and her two young sons were found in a Proton Persona which plunged into Sungai Muda near Kuala Ketil here, yesterday evening.
State Fire and Rescue Department deputy director Syufa'at Kamaron said the car was found by divers on the riverbed, at a depth of about 7.6 metres, around 1.41am today.
"A crane was engaged to lift the car at 2.53am and the vehicle was completely fished out from the river about 3.30am.
"The bodies have been handed over to the police for further investigations," he said in a statement.
Police had earlier identified the victims as Mashitoh Ibrahim, 37, and her sons Mohd Ziyad Zikri Sharudin, seven, and Mohd Ziyad Haziq, five.
Mashitoh was a religious teacher attached to SK Kampung Selarong in Kuala Ketil here.
Baling police chief Superintendent Shamsudin Mamat said police had received a distress call at 6.50pm from a villager about a Proton Persona car losing control along the bridge in Pantai Cicar, Kuala Ketil before plunging into the river.
Rescuers also found debris of the car bumper on the road shoulder.
Following the incident, authorities mounted a search and rescue operation which led to the discovery of the car on the riverbed about seven hours later.