KLUANG: A 16-year-old male teenager drowned after he slipped and fell into a canal outside a house in Kampung Parit Haji Salam, Simpang Renggam, near here at about 2pm today.
He was believed to be the first fatality from the floods in Johor.
Kluang district police chief ACP Mohd Abduh Ismail said the victim, Mohd Denis Irfan, was with his friends and relatives to look at the condition of a house which was flooded.
He said while Mohd Denis, a form four student of Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SMK) Dato’ Ibrahim Majid, was crossing a pedestrian bridge in front of the house, he slipped and fell into the canal.
“He drowned despite attempts by his relatives and two friends to save him,” Mohd Abduh said.
“Our investigations found that the muddy waters made it difficult for the victim to see the bridge leading to the house,” he said in a statement, here today.
Mohd Abduh said villagers found the victim 10 minutes later not far from where he fell into the canal.
He added that the victim’s body was taken to the Simpang Renggam police station before being sent to the Enche’ Besar Hajjah Kalsom Hospital in Kluang.
“We confirmed that this is the first fatality in Kluang from the floods in this district which began on Dec 14.”
“Police advise the public to control their children during the monsoon season to prevent any unwanted incidents,” he added. — Bernama
