The search and rescue (SAR) operation for the victims of the Jeram Air Putih water surge incident in Kemaman has covered an area of 59.1 kilometres (km) up to the Sungai Kemaman basin.

Malaysian Fire and Rescue Department Terengganu branch director Hassan 'As'ari Omar, however, said they have not found any new leads in their search for the remaining victim, Putri Nor Fatin Karim, 14.

“So far, only nine victims have been found, with one still missing. The integrated search operation has also been ended, but the Cheneh and Chukai Fire and Rescue Stations will continue searching.

“On Monday, as reported in the media, the search team found a sling bag believed to belong to one of the victims… that’s the only new lead we have right now,” he told the media at the Bank Simpanan Nasional (BSN) Care Fire Awareness programme at the Kuala Terengganu Fire and Rescue Station, here, today.

He also urged the public, especially villagers around the scene of the incident, to channel whatever relevant information they have to assist them in their search operation.

On July 1, Karim Abdullah, 39, his wife Azizah Eiyi, 40, and seven children, including Putri Nor Fatin, from Felda Lepar Hilir 3, Kuantan, Pahang, had gone for a picnic there together with Muhammad Fikri Saliman, 24, of Batu Pahat, Johor.

All of them were believed to have been swept away by the water surge and the SAR operation was launched on July 2 after villagers found the bodies of Azizah floating about 24km away from the scene and that of her son Muhammad Zulqarnain Haikal Karim, 11, two km away from the site.

The remains of nine of the victims have been safely laid to rest.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency