LAHAD DATU: Three people were killed and three others were reported missing in a water surge incident at a river in the Lembah Maksina area, Makuau, Tungku near here last night.
A spokesman of the Sabah Fire and Rescue Department operations centre said nine other individuals were rescued following the incident.
He said the dead included a man and a woman, and the three bodies were found trapped under timber logs early this morning.
“An operation to retrieve the bodies has been launched,” he said when contacted in Kota Kinabalu today.
Meanwhile, Lahad Datu fire station chief Sumsoa Rashid said the group was conducting river trekking when the water surge happened.
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A total of 17 individuals were involved in the river trekking but two of them had left the place before the incident occurred, he said.
“We received an emergency call at 8.28pm last night and 11 personnel were dispatched to the scene, located about 55 kilometres from Lahad Datu town,“ he told Bernama when contacted today.
He said search and rescue personnel saved nine individuals at about midnight. Two of the victims were injured.
He said the search operation was suspended at 1.40am and resumed at 6am today.
Lahad Datu district police ACP Dzulbaharin Ismail confirmed receiving a report on the incident.
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