Flash flood tragedy: Sudden rise in river water levels
He said he and three friends managed to save themselves after leaving the river area before the water level rose, but did not realise that Vijayan had been swept away by the current.
HULU SELANGOR –"Everything happened so quickly that all we could do was stand and watch," says B. Partiban who survived the incident and witnessed the flash flood at Lata Jebus, Kampung Pertak, on Monday.
Partiban, 27, said he was supposed to join his relative, V Vijayan, 36, and several friends for an outing at the waterfall but arrived later than the others.
"The incident happened at about 5.30pm, when the river current suddenly became stronger," he said when met at the scene.
He said he and three friends managed to save themselves after leaving the river area before the water level rose, but did not realise that Vijayan had been swept away by the current.
Earlier, four bodies recovered on Tuesday morning were taken to Sungai Buloh Hospital for post-mortem examinations.
A police truck was seen leaving the Incident Control Centre (PKTK) at about noon, carrying the bodies.
Selangor Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM) assistant director of operations Ashrul Riezal Asbar said the search and rescue (SAR) operation for three more missing victims would continue up to the Selangor River Dam, about three kilometres from the incident site.
He said the search focused on the stretch of Sungai Luit from Lata Jebus towards the dam.
The first victim, Vijayan, was found at about 1.30am on Tuesday near Pertak Bridge, about 2.7 kilometres from where he was swept away by the current.
Four more victims were found at about 9.20am around Jambatan Senget and Jambatan Gantung, about one kilometre from Lata Jebus.
However, the identities and nationalities of the four victims had yet to be established.
In the incident at about 5.30pm on Monday, eight people comprising one local, one Yemeni, one Sri Lankan, one Nepalese and four Indians were reported missing after being swept away by strong currents.
Meanwhile, a Yemeni student who survived the incident said the weather was clear at the time, with no rain or any early signs of a sudden surge in water levels.
The 19 year old, identified as Muhammad, said he arrived at the river with five friends before three of them went towards the riverbank to swim.
"Suddenly, the current became strong. Two of my friends managed to save themselves, but another is still missing and his whereabouts remain unknown," he said.
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