2 Bruneian students missing in Sabah

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TAWAU: Two Bruneian students are reported missing after being swept away by strong currents during a field study in a river in neighbouring Malaysian state of Sabah yesterday afternoon, Borneo Bulletin reported.

At press time, police and rescue teams from Sabah were still intensifying their search and rescue operations, following the incident at Sungai Balung in the District of Tawau, where four of the undergraduates from Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD) were initially swept away. But two of them were later found.

Sharing details of the incident, Wan Rosli, a spokesperson from the Operation Room of Tawau’s District Police Headquarters, told the Weekend Bulletin that the students were reported missing at around 3.30pm local time.

“The students were collecting samples on top of a rock in the shallow river when flash flood coming from the river upstream swept away a number of the students, leaving them missing for hours,” he said.

Rosli said some of the students managed to save themselves, while four were missing for a few hours until the rescue team found two missing students at around 7pm local time.’

He added that teams from the local police, Fire and Rescue Department, Marine Department and village residents were working round the clock to find the remaining two missing students despite very poor visibility.

“We hope we can find them as soon as possible and we are doing our very best,” he added.

He said the flash flood in the river may have been triggered by heavy rainfall in a nearby mountainous area.

Officials from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) and UBD said a total of 29 students, including two lecturers, were part of the field research collaboration with officials from Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS).

“The river, 500 metres away from the Sungai Balung Bridge, is known to be a safe and common spot for collecting samples for students and researchers especially from UMS and such an incident has never happened before,” a PMO official was quoted as saying in a phone call last night.

Meanwhile, officers from UBD, some parents and family members of those involved in the tragedy, left for Sabah via Royal Brunei flight BI829 last night, with all expenses borne by the Government of His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam.

The remaining 27 students and lecturers are reported to be safe and were transported back to their hotel in Tawau last night where they met officials from His Majesty’s Government and the Brunei Consulate in Sabah, including the Brunei Consular General to Sabah who arrived shortly after learning of the incident.

“We are assuring family members of those affected that their welfare is being taken care of and we are doing whatever we can in ensuring the safety of the remaining students, and are giving our utmost priority by working closely with ihe Sabah Government and rescue officials for the search of the two students that are still missing,” the PMO official added.

The students and lecturers’ return date to Brunei has yet to be decided as of press time.

Brunei netizens who have been made aware of the situation, meanwhile flooded social networking site Facebook, offering support to affected family members with many expressing their hope that the remaining two would be found safe and for the others to return home safely.

A family member of one of the students briefly explained that her brother was physically weakened by the incident and suffered a slight injury.