UniSZA student found drowned at Lata Payung

BANDAR PERMAISURI: A male student of Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin (UniSZA) was found drowned after being swept away by strong currents while bathing in the Hutan Lipur Lata Payung picnic area here yesterday.

The body of Abed Mifzal Azman, 22, from Johor, was found at 9.30 pm by a search and rescue team with the help of villagers, about one kilometre from where he was reported missing.

Setiu District Police Chief Supt Mohd Zain Md Deris said the body had been sent to the Setiu Hospital Forensic Unit for a post-mortem.

He said in the incident yesterday evening, Abed Mifzal, a first-year Bachelor of Business Administration (Islamic Finance) student, was said to be having a picnic with six friends when a water surge occurred.

“The victim’s six friends managed to escape, but the victim was swept away by the strong current,“ he said.

Meanwhile, Mohd Zain advised the public not to do any activities in the river or at recreational forest areas in Setiu for now, due to the uncertain weather conditions and risks of the water surge phenomenon.