Five Dead, Three Still Missing After Sudden River Surge in Selangor as Rescue Operation Continues

HULU SELANGOR, Nov 10 — Five people have been found dead following a sudden river surge at Sungai Pertak near Kuala Kubu Bharu, Selangor, while rescue teams continue searching for three others reported missing.

The incident occurred on Monday evening, November 9, when strong currents swept away eight people from separate groups visiting the river and nearby forest areas.

The Selangor Fire and Rescue Department said 19 other individuals who had become stranded in surrounding locations were successfully brought to safety overnight.

Eight people swept away by strong currents

Emergency services received reports of rapidly rising water levels at around 5.55pm on Monday.

The incident involved visitors in different areas around Sungai Pertak and Lata Jebus.

Among those swept away were one Malaysian, one Yemeni national, one Sri Lankan, one Nepalese and four Indian nationals.

Firefighters were dispatched to the area, where changing water conditions and difficult terrain complicated rescue operations.

An incident command post was also established to coordinate the response and monitor river conditions.

First victim found overnight

The first victim was found near Pertak Bridge at approximately 1.30am on Tuesday.

Authorities identified him as V. Vijayan, a 36-year-old Malaysian man.

He was discovered approximately 2.7 kilometres from the Lata Jebus location where he was believed to have been swept away.

Search personnel continued their work into the morning, focusing on sections of the river and surrounding areas.

Four additional victims located

Selangor Fire and Rescue Department assistant operations director Ashrul Riezal Asbar confirmed that three more victims were found at about 9.20am near Senget Bridge, close to the Sungai Luit campsite.

A fourth was located at approximately 10.20am in a nearby area, around 1.2 kilometres from the incident site.

The discoveries brought the number of victims found to five out of the eight people reported missing.

Rescue personnel were working to retrieve the victims, while efforts to locate the remaining three continued.

Authorities had not released the full identities of all five victims at the time of the reports reviewed.

Nineteen stranded visitors rescued

In addition to those swept away, emergency teams received reports of visitors trapped by rising water levels at several locations.

The fire department said 19 people from separate groups were successfully rescued at approximately 12.16am on Tuesday.

The affected areas included Lata Jebus, Sungai Luit Camp and Gunung Rajah.

Some visitors were unable to cross the river after the sudden increase in water levels, leaving them stranded until help arrived.

The 19 rescued individuals were counted separately from the eight people swept away by the current.

Search divided into four sectors

To coordinate the search, rescue teams divided the operation into four sectors.

Sector A covered Lata Jebus to Lubuk Pertak, while Sector B extended from Lubuk Pertak to Dam Bridge.

Sector C focused on the Dam Bridge area, and Sector D covered the dam vicinity.

Teams continued examining riverbanks, bridge areas and sections where victims may have been carried downstream.

No confirmed conclusion to the search operation had been announced in the latest reports reviewed.

Authorities urge caution around rivers

Sudden river surges can occur when heavy rainfall upstream causes water levels to rise rapidly, even when conditions appear relatively calm at a visitor's immediate location.

The incident highlights the importance of monitoring weather conditions before visiting rivers, waterfalls and forest campsites.

Visitors should move away from waterways if they notice rapidly rising or unusually muddy water, increasing current strength or other warning signs.

People are also urged to follow instructions from emergency personnel and avoid entering areas where rescue operations are underway.

As of the latest confirmed reports on the morning of November 10, five victims had been found dead, while three remained missing.

Further updates on the search and victim identification are expected from the relevant rescue authorities.

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