TAWAU: A trip to view a rare columnar basalt, locally known as ‘batu susun’, by a group of 29 University Brunei Darussalam undergraduates including two lecturers, at Balung River, Mile 24, Apas Road, turned tragic when four of them were swept away by a sudden rise of the water level on Friday.
One of them, Mohd Azizan Mohd Sidek, 22, was found drowned yesterday about 700 meters from the scene, at 3.45pm, by Fire and Rescue Department search team with help from villagers, while another, Mohd Azmi Hj Yacon, 25, was still missing.
Station chief Rudy Fredzex said the department received a distress call at 4.51pm and the search and rescue operation started at 5.30pm.
He said the first victim, Mohd Jamaludin Hj Shah, 24, was rescued at 6.37pm and the second victim Siti Lyana, 22, was found at 6.50pm. Siti was unconsicous at Tawau Hospital but had recovered yesterday and returned to Brunei.
It is believed that the cause of the sudden rise of the water was due to water being released from a dam at the upper reaches of the river.