Sungai Muar tragedy: Bodies of five remaining teenagers found

SEGAMAT (Feb 22, 2014): The bodies of all five teenagers who were reported missing in Sungai Muar near Buloh Kasap, here were found this afternoon.
Segamat OCPD, Supt Mohd Kamil Sukarmi said the body of Mohd Nazree Zainal, 14, was found floating at 1.40pm while that of Mohd Shafiq Md Sukur, 16, was found on the river bed at 2.06pm.
"Three other bodies were also found on the river bed. They were that of Mohd Zaki Zaidi, 16, and Mohd Izoan Hakimis Amin, 16, recovered at 2.41pm while the last body, Mohd Hafizuddin Kamal, 16, was found at 2.46pm," he told reporters at the tragedy site.
Mohd Kamil said all the bodies were found within a radius of 10 metres of the site of the tragedy with the bodies of Mohd Shafiq, Mohd Zaki, Mohd Izoan Hakimis and Mohd Hafizuddin being stuck to tree stumps on the river bed. He said that all the bodies were later sent to the Segamat Hospital for autopsy.
Meanwhile, Johor Fire and Rescue Department Director Datuk Ab Ghani Daud said that following the discovery of all the bodies, the search and rescue operation involving 133 members of the Fire and Rescue Department, police, Rela (Volunteer Corps), Civil Defence Department and the District Office was stopped at 3pm.
For the moment, he said, quicksand at the site of the tragedy was believed to be the cause of the incident and he congratulated everyone who had helped in the search and rescue operation.
Earlier, all family members of the victims were seen performing the Zohor and special 'hajat' prayers at the tragedy site before the atmosphere turned melancholic when the bodies were brought out of the river one by one.
Deputy Home Minister Datuk Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar was also present to observe the search and rescue operation.
In the incident at about 8.50am yesterday, Mohd Hafizuddin, who was walking on the sandy banks of the river was said to have slipped suddenly into the water before seven of his friends who tried to rescue him also disappeared into the river.
The search and rescue operation for the victims yesterday succeeded in recovering the bodies of Mohd Hafizul Danial Norhashim, 16, Mohd Zikri Zaidi, 14, and Nazirul Aminuddin Zamri, 15, near each other on the river bed before the five other victims were recovered today. – Bernama